cogent
Americanadjective
-
convincing or believable by virtue of forcible, clear, or incisive presentation; telling.
-
to the point; relevant; pertinent.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- cogency noun
- cogently adverb
- noncogent adjective
- noncogently adverb
- uncogent adjective
- uncogently adverb
Etymology
Origin of cogent
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
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.
Their playing was electric in its immediacy, cogent in conception and executed with meticulous care—the orchestra sounding lush yet transparent, with enviably subtle dynamic shifts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026
But if that were the case, a cogent narrative could make that point just as well as the facts about Kerr that appear on screen at the end of the film.
From Salon • Oct. 4, 2025
He never responded to the multiple critiques of his false claims about the program with cogent counterarguments.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2025
Chief Judge Pryor’s majority opinion is so cogent and compelling that it almost makes you believe that courts can fairly apply the hopelessly unworkable “history and tradition” test.
From Slate • Mar. 17, 2025
At some point early in the summer, he pumped out a thirty-page memo about corporate governance that was evidently so thorough and cogent it became instantly legendary.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
