cogent

adjective

co·gent | \ ˈkō-jənt

Definition of cogent

1a : appealing forcibly to the mind or reason : convincing cogent evidence

b : pertinent, relevant a cogent analysis

2 : having power to compel or constrain cogent forces

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Choose the Right Synonym for cogent

valid, sound, cogent, convincing, telling mean having such force as to compel serious attention and usually acceptance. valid implies being supported by objective truth or generally accepted authority. a valid reason for being absent a valid marriage sound implies a basis of flawless reasoning or of solid grounds. a sound proposal for reviving the economy cogent may stress either weight of sound argument and evidence or lucidity of presentation. the prosecutor's cogent summation won over the jury convincing suggests a power to overcome doubt, opposition, or reluctance to accept. a convincing argument for welfare reform telling stresses an immediate and crucial effect striking at the heart of a matter. a telling example of bureaucratic waste

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Trained, knowledgeable agents make cogent suggestions . . . that make sense to customers. It makes sense for us to include that comment from the president of a direct marketing consulting company because it provides such a nice opportunity to point out the etymological relationship between the words "cogent" and "agent." Agent derives from the Latin verb agere, which means "to drive," "to lead," or "to act." Adding the prefix co- to "agere" gave Latin cogere, a word that literally means "to drive together"; that ancient term ultimately gave English "cogent." Something that is cogent figuratively pulls together thoughts and ideas, and the cogency of an argument depends on the driving intellectual force behind it.

Examples of cogent in a Sentence

… Honeyboy Edwards provides a cogent analysis of the shift within the blues over the years … — David Hajdu, Mother Jones, September/October 2003 Your article provides cogent reading. — Mario Cuomo, letter U.S. News & World Report, 23 Mar. 1992 Your arguments, whether or not one agrees with them, are generally cogent, and at times elegantly expressed. — Willard R. Espy, letter Wall Street Journal, 24 Apr. 1990 The author … makes a cogent and finely nuanced case for the wisdom—indeed, the necessity of this vision. — Marian Sandmaier, New York Times Book Review, 8 Feb. 1987 the results of the DNA fingerprinting were the most cogent evidence for acquittal

Recent Examples on the Web

The cogent overview of Wells Fargo, still without a CEO, and the keening article about the 1619 Celebration in Hampton, Va., provided context and clarity that immediately took me to the heart of these issues. — Letter Writers, Twin Cities, "Letters: Make good use of the next couple of months: renegotiate trash in St. Paul," 29 Aug. 2019 So far, that division has been most noticeable on healthcare, which formed a big part of both debates, with Tuesday night being the more cogent discussion. — David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, "Three big questions for the Democratic presidential field," 2 Aug. 2019 Prominent politicos groused during the first night of the debate that the format left them unsatisfied: too many candidates, too little time for cogent answers, and too many big issues not getting enough attention. — Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY, "5 things we learned from the Detroit Democratic debates," 1 Aug. 2019 Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur from New York, was cogent and displayed a remarkable ability to redirect all questions towards his signature campaign pledge: universal basic income for Americans. — I.k. | Washington, The Economist, "Joe Biden comes under fire in the second Democratic debate," 1 Aug. 2019 Bakari Sellers, a Democratic strategist and former South Carolina state lawmaker, said the party will need to find a cogent message to ensure black voters turn out to the polls in November 2020. — John Fritze, USA TODAY, "Democrats unified against Donald Trump's racist tweets but remain divided over race," 20 July 2019 Adès has written cogent program notes for them, but they weren’t included. — Mark Swed, latimes.com, "Review: Thomas Adès’ spectacular ‘Inferno’ gets the Wayne McGregor and Tacita Dean touch," 14 July 2019 Since that time, it’s gone through many iterations so that the current version is more cogent — and still very impossible-but-kinda-true. — Joanne Engelhardt, The Mercury News, "Theater review: Lots of reasons to experience ‘Archduke’," 13 June 2019 As for its letters page per se, overly male or not, the Times does a decent job of running missives that are thoughtful, cogent, and well expressed. — Lionel Shriver, Harper's magazine, "Fifty-Fifty Follies," 10 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cogent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for cogent

cogent

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of cogent

formal : very clear and easy for the mind to accept and believe

See the full definition for cogent in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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cogent

Definition of cogent

Other Words from cogent

Synonyms & Antonyms for cogent

Choose the Right Synonym for cogent

Did You Know?

Examples of cogent in a Sentence

First Known Use of cogent

History and Etymology for cogent

English Language Learners Definition of cogent

cogent

Definition of cogent

Other Words from cogent

Synonyms & Antonyms for cogent

Choose the Right Synonym for cogent

Did You Know?

Examples of cogent in a Sentence

First Known Use of cogent

History and Etymology for cogent

English Language Learners Definition of cogent

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