coherent
gb/koʊhˈɪɹənt/ us/koʊhˈɪɹənt/
B2
English
~ 6200
összefüggő, koherens, tiszta tudatú, összeszedett, egységes, összehangolt
B2
1
összefüggő
B1
koherens
B2
Usage pattern:
a coherent [argument/explanation/account/text]
She presented a coherent argument for changing the company’s policy.
Világos és összefüggő érvelést adott elő amellett, hogy meg kell változtatni a vállalat szabályzatát.
The report is long, but it is well-organized and coherent from start to finish.
A jelentés hosszú, de jól felépített, és elejétől a végéig koherens.
His email was not coherent enough for the team to understand what he wanted.
To convince the board, we need a coherent explanation of the risks.
The book is full of interesting ideas, but they never come together into a coherent narrative.
Learner examples
The teacher asked us to write a short but coherent essay.
A tanár arra kért minket, hogy írjunk egy rövid, de összefüggő esszét.
His speech was clear and coherent, so everyone understood.
A beszéde világos és összefüggő volt, ezért mindenki megértette.
Please give a coherent explanation, not many small, random ideas.
The story is easy to read because it is very coherent.
Her answer was long but not coherent, so I was still confused.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "coherent" with "cohesive." "Coherent" focuses on clear, logical meaning (an argument, explanation, or story that makes sense), while "cohesive" focuses on how well parts are linked together (for example, sentences joined with good linking words). Another mistake is saying *"a coherence argument"* instead of *"a coherent argument"*; remember that "coherent" is the adjective, "coherence" is the noun.
Meaning
logical, clear, and easy to follow
Collocations
coherent argument
|coherent explanation
|coherent account
|coherent narrative
|coherent essay
|logically coherent
Synonyms
logical (Emphasizes following the rules of logic; not always about how clear or well-structured the explanation feels to a listener or reader.)
|
clear (Focuses more on being easy to understand; does not always imply a strong, logical structure.)
|
lucid (More formal; suggests being very clear and easy to understand, often in a pleasant or impressive way.)
Antonyms
incoherent (Describes speech or writing that is hard or impossible to understand because it is not logical or well-organized.)
|
confused (Describes ideas or writing that are not clearly expressed or organized.)
Themes
communication
|education
|thinking
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Clear and logical, so other people can easily understand what is said or written.
Logical and clearly structured, so that the meaning is easy to follow and understand.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is/was/seems coherent
The patient was awake but not fully coherent after the operation.
A beteg a műtét után ébren volt, de a tudata nem volt teljesen tiszta.
He was too drunk to form a coherent sentence.
Annyira részeg volt, hogy egy összefüggő mondatot sem tudott megfogalmazni.
When she finally calmed down, she became coherent enough to explain what had happened.
The witness was clearly in shock and barely coherent.
After several hours of rest, he was coherent and able to answer questions.
Learner examples
After the accident, she was not coherent.
A baleset után nem volt tiszta a tudata.
He is tired but still coherent and can talk to us.
Fáradt, de még tiszta a tudata, és tud beszélni velünk.
The old man is only coherent for a short time in the morning.
The child was crying so much that she was not coherent.
When you are angry, wait until you are coherent before you speak.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "coherent" for people when they really mean "cooperative" or "polite." "Coherent" here is only about mental clarity and clear speech, not about being kind or helpful.
Meaning
able to think and speak clearly
Collocations
remain coherent
|still coherent
|no longer coherent
|mentally coherent
|coherent speech
|speak coherently
Synonyms
lucid (Common in medical or care contexts for someone whose mind is clear and who can communicate well.)
|
clear-headed (Informal; emphasizes practical, calm thinking rather than just understandable speech.)
Antonyms
incoherent (Describes a person whose speech or thoughts are disorganized and hard to understand, often due to illness, shock, or intoxication.)
|
confused (Describes someone who cannot think or understand clearly.)
Themes
health
|emotions
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Able to think and speak clearly and in an organized way.
Thinking and speaking in a clear and logical way, especially after illness, shock, or heavy stress.
C1
3
Usage pattern:
a coherent [plan/strategy/policy/system/set]
We need a coherent strategy that links our marketing, sales, and customer service efforts.
Olyan koherens stratégiára van szükségünk, amely összekapcsolja a marketing-, értékesítési és ügyfélszolgálati tevékenységeinket.
The curriculum is not coherent; the courses do not build on each other.
A tanterv nem egységes: a tantárgyak nem épülnek egymásra.
Over time, the different policies developed into a coherent system.
The director tried to turn the short clips into a single coherent film.
Our branding is finally coherent across all platforms and products.
Learner examples
The company does not have a coherent plan for the future.
A vállalatnak nincs koherens terve a jövőre nézve.
This book gives a coherent view of modern history.
Ez a könyv egységes képet ad a modern történelemről.
Her ideas are different, but together they make a coherent project.
We must create a coherent set of rules for the team.
The new teacher made the course more coherent.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "coherent" when they really want "united" or "together" for people (e.g. *"a coherent team"*). While possible, it usually sounds more natural to say the team has a "coherent strategy" or a "coherent way of working" rather than that the people themselves are coherent.
Meaning
consistent and forming a unified whole
Collocations
coherent strategy
|coherent plan
|coherent policy
|coherent approach
|coherent whole
|coherent set of rules
Synonyms
consistent (Focuses on the idea that parts do not contradict each other; may not always imply good structure or design.)
|
integrated (Highlights that different parts are combined and work together smoothly as a system.)
|
unified (Emphasizes that the whole acts as one unit, without division or conflict.)
Antonyms
fragmented (Describes something broken into pieces that do not fit together well as a whole.)
|
patchy (Informal; describes something made of weak, incomplete, or badly matched parts.)
|
inconsistent (Describes a plan or set of ideas whose parts do not agree with each other.)
Themes
business
|education
|planning
|core_vocabulary
|work
Definition
Made of parts that all fit together well and do not conflict, so the whole thing works or makes sense.
Having parts that are consistent with each other and well-organized, so that they form a unified and effective whole.
C1
TECHNICAL
4
koherens
C1
Usage pattern:
coherent [light/beam/waves/radiation]
Lasers produce highly coherent light that can travel long distances without spreading much.
A lézerek erősen koherens fényt bocsátanak ki, amely nagy távolságokat tehet meg anélkül, hogy jelentősen széttartana.
The experiment requires a coherent beam of X-rays to create a clear diffraction pattern.
A kísérlethez koherens röntgensugárnyalábra van szükség, hogy tiszta diffrakciós mintázat jöjjön létre.
We used a partially coherent source to study the interference effects.
Learner examples
A laser is a source of coherent light.
A lézer koherens fényforrás.
In this lab, we work with a coherent beam of red light.
Ebben a laborban koherens vörös fénynyalábbal dolgozunk.
Coherent waves can create strong patterns of light and dark.
The scientist explained that coherent light is important for this test.
Meaning
waves with a constant phase relationship
Collocations
coherent light
|coherent beam
|coherent waves
|coherent radiation
|highly coherent
|spatially coherent
Synonyms
in-phase (Technical; focuses directly on the phase relationship of the waves without implying other properties.)
Antonyms
incoherent (In physics, refers to waves with random or varying phase relationships.)
|
random (Highlights the lack of a fixed phase or orderly relationship between waves.)
Themes
science
|technology
Definition
In physics, used for light or other waves whose peaks and troughs stay in step with each other.
In physics, describing waves that maintain a constant phase relationship with each other, as in coherent light from a laser.
Grammar
Dictionary form
coherent
IPA
GB/koʊhˈɪɹənt/
US/koʊhˈɪɹənt/
Syllables & stress
co - her - ent (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (her)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: coherent
Word family
Expressions
a coherent whole
1/ə koʊhˈɪɹənt hˈoʊl/
fixed phrase
one unified, well-fitted whole
Something made of different parts that fit together well and form one clear, complete thing.
Examples
- The different chapters form a coherent whole rather than separate essays.
- We adjusted the lessons so the course became a coherent whole for the students.
- The architect wanted the house and garden to feel like a coherent whole.
coherent light
1/koʊhˈɪɹənt lˈaɪt/
fixed phrase
technical
light with waves in phase
Light whose waves move together in step, often produced by a laser.
Examples
- Coherent light is essential for creating sharp interference patterns.
- Lasers emit coherent light that can be focused into a very narrow beam.