cognitive

adjective

cog·​ni·​tive ˈkäg-nə-tiv 

1

: of, relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity (such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering)

cognitive impairment

cognitive tests

2

philosophy : based on or capable of being reduced to empirical factual knowledge

cognitively adverb

Examples of cognitive in a Sentence

The best toys for toddlers engage their interests while developing their fine motor, gross motor, cognitive, and social skills. —Ashley Ziegler and Katrina Cossey, Parents, 12 Nov. 2024

Homo sapiens' survival is founded in their filling an evolutionary niche referred to as the cognitive niche. —Daniel Grassam, Skeptical Inquirer, July/August 2001

Researchers are debating whether heading balls can dent the cognitive skills of young soccer players for life. —Lisa McLaughlin, Time, 5 June 2000

Recent Examples on the Web

Among ancient European philosophers, cognitive decline in late life was typically seen not as a medical condition but as either an inevitable consequence of aging or punishment for personal faults. —Marion Renault, The Atlantic, 13 May 2025

Vitamin B12 supplementation is marketed for several other reasons, including heart health, eye health, cognitive decline, mood enhancement, and more. —Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 13 May 2025

In the aftermath of former Vice President Kamala Harris’s devastating loss to President Donald Trump last November, many people have come forward to describe the lengths Biden’s closest allies went to in order to cover up his cognitive lapses and declining health. —Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 13 May 2025

Beyond cognitive benefits, sleep is crucial for immune system function, enabling the production of essential immune cells that help ward off infections. —Ankur Bindal, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin cognitīvus "concerned with knowing," from Latin cognitus, past participle of cognōscere "to get to know, acquire knowledge of" + -īvus -ive — more at cognition

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cognitive

• cognitive behavioral therapy
• cognitive behavior therapy
• cognitive dissonance
• cognitive science
• cognitive therapy

Rhymes for cognitive

• neurocognitive

Kids Definition

cognitive

adjective

cog·​ni·​tive ˈkäg-nət-iv 

: of, relating to, or being conscious mental activities (as thinking, reasoning, remembering, imagining, learning words, and using language)

Medical Definition

cognitive

adjective

cog·​ni·​tive ˈkäg-nət-iv 

: of, relating to, or being conscious intellectual activity (as thinking, reasoning, remembering, imagining, or learning words)

the cognitive elements of perception

—C. H. Hamburg

cognitively adverb