cogent
Americanadjective
-
convincing or believable by virtue of forcible, clear, or incisive presentation; telling.
-
to the point; relevant; pertinent.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cogent
1650–60; < Latin cōgent- (stem of cōgēns, present participle of cōgere to drive together, collect, compel), equivalent to cōg- ( co- co- + ag-, stem of agere to drive) + -ent- -ent
Explanation
When you make a cogent argument, it means your argument is clear and persuasive. In these days of 24-hour entertainment news and sound-bite sized explanations of complex government policy, it’s hard to find a cogent argument amidst all the emotional outbursts. Cogent comes from a Latin word meaning "to drive together," so cogent thinking is well-organized: it hangs together. If you try to convince your mayor to build a new park by saying that playgrounds are good, seeing the sky is nice, and raccoons are cool…well that’s not a cogent argument; it’s just random. But you could cogently argue that parks contribute to civic happiness by providing space for exercise, community, and encounters with nature.
Vocabulary lists containing cogent
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The rest of us need to find a cogent and workable way out of this self-made mess..
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
Even so, many of the most memorable moments come in the form of cogent micro-essays, smartly curated ensembles of work bearing a legible, lucid premise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
Yet cogent objections to post-’60s permissiveness crop up with some regularity, if you’re looking for them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
He’d be hard pressed to find anyone capable of cogent thought who agrees with him.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2025
Over the course of the next few weeks Adams and Jefferson developed two equally cogent but wholly incompatible political strategies in response to their somewhat awkward reunion as a political pair.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
