cognizant
Americanadjective
-
having cognizance; aware (usually followed byof ).
He was cognizant of the difficulty.
-
having legal cognizance or jurisdiction.
adjective
Usage
What does cognizant mean? To be cognizant of something is to be aware of it or have knowledge of it. Such awareness can be called cognizance. Cognizant is almost always followed by the word of and the thing that the person is cognizant of, as in He was cognizant of the report at the time. It’s often used in the phrase cognizant of the fact, as in I’m cognizant of the fact that you dislike me, but we still need to work together to get this done. Cognizant is typically used in a formal way. The adjective aware means much the same thing but is used more broadly. Example: At what point did you become cognizant of the fact that you were not receiving everything that you were promised?
Synonym Usage
See conscious.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of cognizant
First recorded in 1810–20; cogniz(ance) + -ant
Explanation
If you are cognizant of what's going on at the table behind you in the lunchroom, that means you know they're plotting to throw peas at your head. If you are cognizant of something, you are aware of or informed about it. This 19th century adjective derives from Latin cognōscere, "to learn." For the English adjective and noun, an older pronunciation with a silent g was in use in legal contexts up until the early 20th century. In law, these terms refer to jurisdiction, or the right of a court to hear a case.
Vocabulary lists containing cognizant
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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In the Know: Cogn, Conn
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Grade 9, List 4
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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.
Cognizant of widespread fears about additional layoffs, Paramount Chief Operating Officer Andrew Gordon took steps this week to try to tamp down such concerns.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
Tata Consultancy Services had dropped 20%, while Cognizant Technology Solutions had gained 12%.
From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025
The companies declined to share financial terms behind their partnership, which also involves Cognizant co-selling Anthropic’s Claude models to its business customers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025
For Cognizant, the deal with Anthropic is intended to help the Teaneck, N.J.-based professional-services company improve its own software-development acumen.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025
But if Allah pleased, He would seal your heart; and Allah will blot out the falsehood and confirm the truth with His words; surely He is Cognizant of what is in the breasts.
From Three Translations of The Koran (Al-Qur'an) side by side by Ali, Abdullah Yusuf
Definitions 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.
