Consistence

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The measure of how firm or solid a substance is ; the quality that makes something uniform and well integrated
2. Refers to the firmness or thickness of a material or mixture ; the property of being coherent and consistent throughout
3. Describes the solidity or compactness of a substance ; indicates the degree to which parts are evenly combined or harmonious

Etymology: "Consistence" comes from Middle French, where the related form "consistance" carried the sense of a body's firmness or the way its parts hold together. Its English shape is built on the verb "consist," which comes from Latin "consistere," meaning "to stand together" or "to take a stand," and the ending "-ence" is the familiar suffix that turns such verbs into nouns of state or quality. Put together, the word names the condition of being held firmly together. That literal sense of standing together explains the modern meanings. A substance is described as having a certain consistence when its parts cling together in a particular way, whether thick like paste or thin like water. The same idea extends to abstract matters, where the word describes how evenly the parts of an arrangement fit and agree with one another.

Synonyms: consistency, cohesion, uniformity, texture, density

Antonyms: inconsistency, variability, disunity, heterogeneity