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cognizable

adjective
cog·​ni·​za·​ble | \ ˈkäg-nə-zə-bəl How to pronounce cognizable (audio) , käg-ˈnī-\

Definition of cognizable

1 : capable of being judicially heard and determined a cognizable claim
2 : capable of being known cognizable events
Other Words from cognizable Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about cognizable

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Other Words from cognizable

cognizably \ ˈkäg-​nə-​zə-​blē How to pronounce cognizably (audio) , käg-​ˈnī-​ \ adverb

Did You Know?

It's easy to recognize the "cogni-" in "cognizable" and in other English words that have to do with knowing: "precognition," "incognito," "recognition," and "cognitive," for example. They're all from Latin cognoscere ("to know")."Cognizable" was formed in the 17th century from the root of "cognizance," which means "knowledge." "Cognizance" in turn traces to "cognoscere" by way of Anglo-French conissance. "Cognizable" was used in the legal sense almost from its introduction, and that's the sense that is far and away the most common today.

Examples of cognizable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Brown doesn’t have a viable legal case to wear the helmet If Brown’s grievance fails, there is no cognizable legal theory that would enable Brown to wear a helmet over the NFL’s wishes. A contract law claim would not work. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Examining Antonio Brown's Legal Options Against NFL Over Helmet Dispute," 11 Aug. 2019 Then would come the much more tractable and cognizable job of fixing ObamaCare. — Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, "The Result of GOP Failure," 18 July 2017 This is off-the-map in terms of a legally cognizable claim. — Ben Brody, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Sued Over Foreign Business Dealings by Democrat Lawmakers," 14 June 2017 Do time and effort alone, spent in a reasonable effort to avert reasonably foreseeable harm, constitute a cognizable injury under Maine common law? — Kim Zetter, WIRED, "Judge Revives Question of Retail Liability in Hannaford Breach Case," 9 Oct. 2009

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

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First Known Use of cognizable

circa 1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for cognizable

cogniz(ance) + -able

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More Definitions for cognizable

cognizable

adjective
cog·​ni·​za·​ble | \ ˈkäg-nə-zə-bəl, käg-ˈnī- How to pronounce cognizable (audio) \

Legal Definition of cognizable

1 : capable of being known specifically : capable of being recognized as a group because of a common characteristic (as race or gender)

Note: Systematic exclusion of members of a cognizable group from a jury violates the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution, which requires that jurors be selected from jury pools that represent a fair cross section of the community.

2 : capable of being judicially heard and determined a cognizable claim

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