cogent

[ koh-juhnt ]

adjective

1. convincing or believable by virtue of forcible, clear, or incisive presentation; telling.
2. to the point; relevant; pertinent.

cogent

/ ˈkəʊdʒənt /

adjective

1. compelling belief or assent; forcefully convincing

Derived Forms

• ˈcogently, adverb
• ˈcogency, noun

Other Words From

• cogent·ly adverb
• non·cogent adjective
• non·cogent·ly adverb
• un·cogent adjective
• un·cogent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of cogent¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cogent¹

C17: from Latin cōgent-, cōgēns, driving together, from cōgere, from co- together + agere to drive

Example Sentences

I never got a cogent message at a service, but I do think I had a brush with the other side many years later at the Hotel Cassadaga.

From Washington Post

It’s that, in the end, he’s defensive to the extent that they’re no longer provocative, or even cogent.

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps the most cogent examples of this are the haunted beings Kupersmith conjures to tell her tale of agency and autonomy stolen and then reclaimed.

From Time

Developing a cogent regional development policy is one of the most vital public policy challenges facing America.

From MIT Technology Review

We want our comments to be HEARD – not just tabulated by the City Clerk in what feels dismissive of the time and effort it has taken for us to be informed, formulate cogent responses, and respond in the 1,500 character-limit allotted in an e-Comment.

From Voice of San Diego

The Daily Beast picks the most cogent takes on the arguments in the two marriage cases before the Supreme Court this week.

From The Daily Beast

He ended with some cogent and compelling logic born of a desire not for revenge, but simple justice.

From The Daily Beast

There is a cogent argument to be made that, as wars come to a close, military requirements go down and diplomatic demands go up.

From The Daily Beast

Suffice it to say there was not a lot of cogent discussion of immigration policy.

From The Daily Beast

Webster Tarpley was obviously not anything like as as cogent Jon Kay.

From The Daily Beast

These, then, appear to be the cogent reasons for the adoption of the medium rise in the modelling by Stradivari.

From Project Gutenberg

In fact, no cogent reason can be given why the works mentioned by her should not be the outcome of unaided development.

From Project Gutenberg

For cogent reasons, Vixnu next assumed the form of a man and lion at the same time.

From Project Gutenberg

The second objection is more cogent, viz.: that the interpretation in question was not accepted by any early Christian writer.

From Project Gutenberg

They had motives for responding to the call made on them which are intelligible, and cogent, to any European.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• compelling
• convincing
• forceful
• persuasive
• telling
• weighty