cognizable
Americanadjective
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capable of being perceived or known.
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being within the jurisdiction of a court.
adjective
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perceptible
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law susceptible to the jurisdiction of a court
Usage
What does cognizable mean? Cognizable means capable of being perceived or known. A close synonym is perceptible. The related adjective cognizant means aware of something or having knowledge of it. Such awareness can be called cognizance. In a legal context, cognizable is used in a more specific way meaning within the jurisdiction of a court. Example: At what point did you become cognizant of the fact that you were not receiving everything that you were promised?
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cognizable
First recorded in 1670–80; cogniz(ance) + -able
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.
Joby’s court filing said Archer’s complaint was “long on innuendo, but short on factual allegations supporting cognizable legal theories.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
That case was dismissed in 2019 for a "failure to allege a cognizable legal theory"; the latest lawsuits' "natural" claims represent a different tactic.
From Salon ● May 21, 2024
So the states have no “judicial cognizable interest” that the courts can redress.
From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2023
The judge in that case called his suit “fanatic” and “delusional,” saying there was no way to “discern any cognizable claim” from the incoherent filings.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 16, 2022
But these high officers frequently took upon them to inquire of treasons and felonies cognizable at common law, and even of civil contracts and trespasses.
From View of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages, Vol. 3 by Hallam, Henry
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.
