cognizant
Americanadjective
-
having cognizance; aware (usually followed byof ).
He was cognizant of the difficulty.
-
having legal cognizance or jurisdiction.
adjective
Usage
What does cognizant mean? To be cognizant of something is to be aware of it or have knowledge of it.Such awareness can be called cognizance.Cognizant is almost always followed by the word of and the thing that the person is cognizant of, as in He was cognizant of the report at the time. It’s often used in the phrase cognizant of the fact, as in I’m cognizant of the fact that you dislike me, but we still need to work together to get this done.Cognizant is typically used in a formal way. The adjective aware means much the same thing but is used more broadly.Example: At what point did you become cognizant of the fact that you were not receiving everything that you were promised?
Related Words
See conscious.
Other Word Forms
- noncognizant adjective
- noncognizantly adverb
- precognizant adjective
- uncognizant adjective
Etymology
Origin of cognizant
First recorded in 1810–20; cogniz(ance) + -ant
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.
“We are totally cognizant there are periods of time when bonds did not provide the same ballast, but over time, they do.”
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
So I think they were cognizant of what was going on in the real world and exercising the independence that life tenure gives them.
From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026
Many were cognizant of both the benefits and drawbacks of regular food delivery.
From Salon • Mar. 3, 2026
Were he alive today, the father of our country—who was also a forgiving man, cognizant of his own potential errors—might well be pleased with recent activities at his plantation on the Potomac.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026
Yet Groves was fully cognizant of Lawrence’s crucial role in the program.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
