cogency

noun

co·​gen·​cy ˈkō-jən(t)-sē How to pronounce cogency (audio)
: the quality or state of being cogent

Examples of cogency in a Sentence

the cogency of Thomas Paine's celebrated case for American independence satirical comments of great cogency
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Masterpiece remakes offer something very different, speaking to us with surprising urgency and cogency across time. Jim Shepard, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025 The play echoes this ever-important sentiment but with far less cogency on an American stage. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024 European leaders refused to comment on the record about their perceptions of Biden’s cogency. Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024 Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency. Fredrik Logevall, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2022 The emphasis is on technical perfection, formal cogency, and unity of interpretive approach. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Yet, by using Martin’s words to ferry one scene to the next, & Juliet also ends up emphasizing the cogency of his work. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2022 But in her first directorial feature in 15 years, cinematographer Johnes doesn’t organize this material with ideal cogency. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 9 Nov. 2022 But Post evidently finds inspiration in the late rocker’s gloomy cogency. Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 9 June 2022

Word History

Etymology

cog(ent) + -ency

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cogency was in 1667

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Cogency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cogency. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

cogency

noun
co·​gen·​cy ˈkō-jən-sē How to pronounce cogency (audio)
: the quality or state of being cogent

More from Merriam-Webster on cogency

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!