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

Each step is often assumed to correspond to a distinct brain function, moving from sensory processing to cognition and then to motor activity.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

They’ve read the research documenting how the outdoors, including urban green spaces, improves cognition, social connection and physical strength, while decreasing depression and anxiety in all ages, but especially seniors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Not surprising, then, grandparenting has been associated with improved mobility, less depression and improved cognition, especially for older cohorts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

They know their cognition will continue to fade, and they might live for years in an agitated, delusional state where they’ll need round-the-clock care from people they don’t recognize.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Recognizing someone’s face is a classic example of unconscious 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

Hope-related cognitions are important: Snyder and his colleagues proposed that a person’s level of hope leads him or her to choose learning or performance goals.

From Time ● Jun. 17, 2015

By following a mindful and accepting approach to my unusual cognitions, I have learned to live in harmony with my hallucinations and delusions.

From Scientific American ● Feb. 3, 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

Again at the end of the section on knowledge— "Unless there were this unity with Śiva, cognitions could not exist as facts of daily life: "Unity with God is proved by the unity of light.

From The Sarva-Darsana-Samgraha Review of the Different Systems of Hindu Philosophy by Madhava Acharya