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cognitive development

American

noun

the process of acquiring intelligence and increasingly advanced thought and problem-solving ability from infancy to adulthood.

cognitive development Cultural

The growth of a person's ability to learn.

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.

He’s legitimizing its use as psychological scaffolding, which allows a person’s cognitive development to be left perpetually unfinished.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

Throughout childhood, good nutrition, including plenty of fruit, vegetables and protein, plays a vital role in growth, cognitive development and mental health.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025

More recently, though, a meta-analysis pointed to potential risks to cognitive development in babies whose mothers took the drug in pregnancy.

From Salon • Sep. 10, 2024

The research hypothesis is that an early-age nutritional intervention among preschoolers would make a significant impact on physical and cognitive development.

From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2024

For the student, music not only strengthens emotional and cognitive development, but also allows a new outlet of expression, and a new means of learning through listening and making sound.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023