Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Appealing to the intellect or powers of reasoning; convincing: synonym: valid.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Compelling by physical force; potent; irresistible by physical means.
- Compelling assent or conviction; appealing powerfully to the intellect or moral sense; not easily denied or refuted: as, a cogent reason or argument.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective obsolete Compelling, in a physical sense; powerful.
- adjective Having the power to compel conviction or move the will; constraining; conclusive; forcible; powerful; not easily reasisted.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
Reasonable andconvincing ; based onevidence . - adjective
Appealing to theintellect orpowers of reasoning. - adjective
Forcefully persuasive .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective powerfully persuasive
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word cogent.
Examples
-
You speak with a clear voice and in cogent paragraphs, and make a great case for our progressive causes.
-
Now that’s what I call a cogent argument reply thomas
Verizon: iDon’t Not Want The iPhone MG Siegler 2005
-
Imagining a universe in which Seixon’s arguments are cogent is a cost-effective alternative to doing drugs … kinda like smoking Norwegian pot by proxy. see his responses pertaining to the downing street memo. btw, tripmaster, i almost went there in my post about wmds, but decided against it. somehow i just knew what his response was going to be.
Think Progress » Limbaugh Distorts Numbers To Downplay Global Warming Science 2006
-
Stephen Clark, those are not what I would call cogent legal arguments.
The Volokh Conspiracy » The right formerly known as the right to marry 2009
-
Professor Woodward dismisses me as "misinformed as well as uninformed about the relevant past," and yet relies entirely on my text in crafting a 2,500-word cogent summary, including quotes and descriptive scenes, of the personal and political history of Wallace and the Wallace family dating to Reconstruction.
'Wallace Redeemed?': An Exchange Lesher, Stephan 1994
-
Mr. Mahindra said support is growing within the Indian government to increase the investment limit and he said there is no "cogent" argument against it.
Mahindra: Loosen Limits on Defense Investment in India Amol Sharma 2010
-
But I'm missing the kind of cogent argument that might give some teeth to your claim of having put sharp questions to your sparring partner.
The Inerrancy of Ecclesiastes 9:2-6 James F. McGrath 2010
-
This may not be "cogent" enough for Conventional Theology 101.
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2009
-
Holbrooke's flattery, though, did not deter Podesta, who kept insisting on some kind of cogent answer about objectives and metrics.
-
Ron English, Deputy General Counsel for Seattle Public Schools told me that Chris Jackins was selected because of his well established credentials as an informed critic of the school system and his ability, in the Distict's opinion, that he was well qualified to present "cogent" Statements Against.
Sound Politics: Suppression of Dissent in Christine Gregoire's AmeriKKKa 2007
Prolagus commented on the word cogent
The most cogent reason for restricting the interference of government is the great evil of adding unnecessarily to its power.
(John Stuart Mill)
March 21, 2008
marco_nj commented on the word cogent
"a cogent and concise narrative"
January 23, 2009
660774855 commented on the word cogent
chess openings
October 3, 2010
25418050 commented on the word cogent
“Compelling by physical force; potent; irresistible by physical force.”
^ this doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the definitions.
October 27, 2017