Meaning & use
internal coherence
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountableformal
the quality of being logically consistent and well-connected within itself
Grammar: Uncountable; used with 'have' or 'lack': The essay has internal coherence.
Patterns
- have internal coherence
- lack internal coherence
- the internal coherence of something
The committee praised the report for its internal coherence and clear logic.
Without internal coherence, the argument falls apart.
The novel's internal coherence suffers when the timeline jumps around.
Common combinations
- lack internal coherence
- The proposal lacked internal coherence and was rejected.
- maintain internal coherence
- The author struggles to maintain internal coherence across the long chapters.
- internal coherence of the argument
- The internal coherence of the argument impressed the examiners.
- a sense of internal coherence
- Good editing gives a sense of internal coherence to the whole book.
Synonyms and how they differ
- consistency
- Focuses on not contradicting itself over time; 'internal coherence' emphasizes logical connection among parts.
- unity
- Suggests being one whole; 'internal coherence' stresses that the parts fit together logically.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: internal coherence or external coherence?
internal coherence vs external coherence
External coherence means fitting well with outside ideas or facts; internal coherence means fitting together within itself.
Practice
The reviewer noted that the essay had strong evidence but poor ______, with paragraphs that didn't connect.
Choose one answer.
'Internal coherence' is the correct noun phrase for logical connection within a text. 'External coherence' would mean fitting with outside sources, 'internal coherent' mixes adjective and noun, and 'internally coherence' uses an adverb incorrectly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “internal coherence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.