cognition

noun

cog·​ni·​tion käg-ˈni-shən How to pronounce cognition (audio)
: cognitive mental processes
A concussion impaired the patient's cognition.
also : a product of these processes
cognitional
käg-ˈnish-nəl How to pronounce cognition (audio)
-ˈni-shə-nᵊl
adjective

Examples of cognition in a Sentence

disabilities affecting cognition and judgment
Recent Examples on the Web While this may seem like a grab bag of unrelated aspects of cognition, Vinod Menon, the director of the Stanford Cognitive & Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, recently theorized that all of these functions may be helpful in constructing an internal narrative. Nora Bradford, WIRED, 3 Mar. 2024 On the one hand, generative AI empowers robots to learn, adapt, and make complex decisions on the fly, mimicking some aspects of human cognition. Timothy Papandreou, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Biden’s use of the wrong word caused a certain hyperventilation about his cognition. Jeff Robbins, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2024 California For Subscribers Tom Girardi’s epic corruption exposes the secretive world of private judges Aug. 4, 2022 In early 2023, Girardi was indicted in Los Angeles and Illinois on federal fraud charges, triggering a more fulsome — and public — examination of his cognition. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 Overall, cognition peaks in our 30s and gradually declines over time. Mira Cheng, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024 For people living with dementia, social isolation is a health risk: Along with overall quality of life, loneliness has been shown to worsen cognition, memory recall, verbal fluency and processing speed. Journal Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2024 The Police Department’s lack of overtime limits and mandatory breaks between shifts raise the risks of officer fatigue, which can cause car crashes, injuries and reduced cognition in life-or-death situations, the audit says. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Feb. 2024 Though both disorders would demonstrate Williams’ cognition is compromised, the diagnoses don’t necessarily mean she’s lost all cognitive ability to the point that her rights should be completely restricted, says Krooks. Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cognition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cognicioun "comprehension, ability to comprehend," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French cognicion "knowledge, jurisdiction," borrowed from Latin cognitiōn-, cognitiō "act of getting to know, comprehension, investigation," from cogni-, variant stem of cognōscere "to get to know, acquire knowledge of, become acquainted with, investigate" (from co- co- + gnōscere, nōscere "to get to know," inchoative derivative from Indo-European *ǵneh3-, *ǵṇh3- "to know, recognize") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns — more at know entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cognition was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near cognition

Cite this Entry

“Cognition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cognition. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cognition

noun
cog·​ni·​tion käg-ˈnish-ən How to pronounce cognition (audio)
: the act or process of knowing

Medical Definition

cognition

noun
cog·​ni·​tion käg-ˈnish-ən How to pronounce cognition (audio)
1
: cognitive mental processes
2
: a conscious intellectual act
conflict between cognitions
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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