Top Definitions
Quiz
Related Content
Examples
British
Medical

cognitive

[ kog-ni-tiv ]

/ ˈkɒg nɪ tɪv /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for cognitive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or relating to cognition; concerned with the act or process of knowing, perceiving, etc. : cognitive development; cognitive functioning.

of or relating to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning, as contrasted with emotional and volitional processes.

VIDEO FOR COGNITIVE

What Does The Definition Of "Cognitive" Actually Mean?

We have to be 16 to drive. Why? That's when we're cognitive enough to make good judgments while on the road. At 18, we can watch R-rated movies. So, that means we can deal with complex situations and narratives. This is what "cognitive" is all about.

MORE VIDEOS FROM DICTIONARY.COM

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Origin of cognitive

1580–90; <Medieval Latin cognitīvus, equivalent to Latin cognit(us) known (see cognition) + -īvus-ive

OTHER WORDS FROM cognitive

cog·ni·tive·ly, adverbcog·ni·tiv·i·ty, nounnon·cog·ni·tive, adjective

Words nearby cognitive

cognate object, cognation, Cognex, cognisant, cognition, cognitive, cognitive behavioral therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, cognitive computing, cognitive development, cognitive dissonance

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use cognitive in a sentence

As momentum gains for a more cognitive and social approach for training AI, neuroscience studies that help us understand how we learn from one another may also benefit learning algorithms that teach AI to learn by observing us.
This Is How Your Brain Responds to Social Influence|Shelly Fan|August 25, 2020|Singularity Hub
In nine experiments, psychologist Jorge Morales, philosopher Alex Bax, and cognitive scientist Chaz Firestone showed that the elliptical image on the back of the eye likely stays with us.
This Vision Experiment Resolved a Centuries-Old Philosophical Debate - Facts So Romantic|Jim Davies|August 14, 2020|Nautilus
This difference drew popular attention and was suggested to cause cognitive sex differences.
Brain Scientists Haven’t Been Able To Find Major Differences Between Women’s And Men’s Brains, Despite Over A Century Of Searching|LGBTQ-Editor|August 13, 2020|No Straight News
Previous studies found that running also stimulates fat cells and muscle to benefit the brain’s regenerative and cognitive functions—with each organ using their own molecular “phone lines.”
Couch Potato No More: How the Benefits of Exercise Transfer to the Brain|Shelly Fan|July 14, 2020|Singularity Hub

Research now suggests that use results in prolonged lifespan and enhanced cognitive and immune function.
A Renaissance of Genomics and Drugs Is Extending Human Longevity|Peter H. Diamandis, MD|June 26, 2020|Singularity Hub
A big part of the reason is a simple psychological phenomenon called cognitive dissonance.
Why Didn’t Camille Dump Bill Cosby?|Amanda Marcotte|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In this way, certain cognitive mechanisms can act like a hammer too eager for nails.
Why Are Millennials Unfriending Organized Religion?|Vlad Chituc|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This dietary supplement originates in China and has been reported to enhance cognitive ability in healthy individuals.
Fish Oil, Turmeric, and Ginseng, Oh My! Are ‘Brain Foods’ B.S.?|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Later, cognitive and behavioral problems can occur; dementia is not uncommon.
The Burden Robin Williams Carried: Diagnosed With Parkinson’s and Depression|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The point at which autonomy should be handed over to the child is less clear when parenting children with cognitive disabilities.
Is It Wrong for Parents to Lock Up Their Disabled Kids?|Elizabeth Picciuto|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For the present, we are only concerned with such as are cognitive.
The Analysis of Mind|Bertrand Russell
We have, in other words, been assuming that language moves entirely in the ideational or cognitive sphere.
Language|Edward Sapir
It means, in short, that he is in an aesthetic attitude of realization rather than in a cognitive attitude.
Essays in Experimental Logic|John Dewey
The interest with which this discipline is approached is therefore not commonly the intellectual or cognitive interest simply.
The Theory of the Leisure Class|Thorstein Veblen
It may be either logical, cognitive, scientific or even metaphysical.
The Mystery of Space|Robert T. Browne

British Dictionary definitions for cognitive

cognitive

/ (ˈkɒɡnɪtɪv) /

adjective

of or relating to cognition

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for cognitive

cognitive

[ kŏg′nĭ-tĭv ]

adj.

Of, characterized by, involving, or relating to cognition.

Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.