mid-15c., "steady attachment of the mind or feelings to a person, cause, belief, etc.," from Middle French adhérence, from Medieval Latin adhaerentia, abstract noun from Latin adhaerent-, stem of adhaerens, present participle of adhaerare "stick to," from ad "to" (see ad-) + haerere "to stick" (see hesitation). Rarely in a physical sense, adhesion being the usual word for that.