cognition

American  

[kog-nish-uhn] / kɒgˈnɪʃ ən /

noun

cognitions plural

1. the act or process of knowing; perception.

2. the product of such a process; something thus known, perceived, etc.

3. knowledge.

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cognition British  

/ kɒɡˈnɪʃən /

noun

1. the mental act or process by which knowledge is acquired, including perception, intuition, and reasoning

2. the knowledge that results from such an act or process

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cognition Scientific  

/ kŏg-nĭsh′ən /

1. The mental process of knowing, including awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncognition
  noun
• self-cognition
  noun
• cognitional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cognitions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cognition

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English cognicioun, from Latin cognitiōn-, stem of cognitiō “knowledge, a learning,” equivalent to cognit(us) “learned, known” (past participle of cognōscere “to learn, become acquainted,” from co- co- + gnōscere, nōscere “to learn”; see know ¹) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Cognition is the act of thinking, perceiving, and understanding. It's cognition that makes it possible for you to learn a foreign language. The word cognition is most often used in scholarly or formal writing about learning and thinking, though you can also use it to describe what happens when you use your brain power to complete a crossword puzzle or remember math equations for a test. Cognition comes from the Latin cognitio, meaning "a getting to know, knowledge" combining com-, "together," and gnoscere, "to know."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cognition cognitions

In its final stage, a person can experience severe cognition issues and memory loss, as well as dementia, according to the CTE Society.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Within the total costs, researchers found that the quality-of-life impact was greatest amid declines in cognition, function and independence.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026

Regular participation in the arts improves cognition, lowers blood pressure and reduces stress, according to “Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

Mr. Berg is the founder and research director of Reciprocal Research, a nonprofit studying AI cognition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

Because we are often careless with our powers of rapid cognition.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

“There are intrusions of traumatic memory, there’s avoidance of salient reminders, there are negative alterations in cognitions and in mood, and there are alterations in arousal and reactivity,” Kaufman said.

From The Verge ● Apr. 27, 2022

According to hope theory, emotions follow cognitions, not the other way around.

From Time ● Jun. 17, 2015

The attitudes, cognitions, emotions, and personal values that comprise mental toughness develop as a result of repeated exposure to a variety of experiences, challenges, and adversities.

From Scientific American ● Mar. 19, 2014

Such lightning-fast cognitions are possible partly because the brain makes certain automatic assumptions: it figures that light has traveled in a straight line from the object to our eyes.

From New York Times ● Nov. 17, 2012

The proposition, that our cognitions of objects are only in part dependent on the objects themselves, and in part on elements superadded by our organs or our minds, is not identical, nor prima facie absurd.

From The Philosophy of the Conditioned by Mansel, Henry Longueville