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 development
Mild cognitive impairment … involves a decline in mental acuity that is noticeable but not severe enough to be diagnosed as dementia.—
Nicholas Bakalar
Nicholas Bakalar… researchers kept people just slightly sleep deprived … and watched the subjects' performance on cognitive tests plummet.—James Hamblin
James Hamblin2
philosophy
: based on or capable of being reduced to empirical factual knowledge
debate whether normative statements can be cognitive
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
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
Indeed, in many countries, nursing home admissions for dementia result more often from psychiatric symptoms than from cognitive changes.
—Eric J. Nestler, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026
Researchers from Australia’s Monash University analyzed more than 2,000 dementia-free Australian adults between the ages of 40 and 70, comparing their diets to cognitive function.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
On the other hand, the average group of Neanderthals had a brain capacity that’s consistent with them scoring about the same on cognitive tests as their Homo sapiens neighbors.
—ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
For example, daily behaviors that benefit physical health − like regular movement, good sleep and a nutritious diet − also play a central role in delaying cognitive decline.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cognitive
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Eric J. Nestler, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026
Researchers from Australia’s Monash University analyzed more than 2,000 dementia-free Australian adults between the ages of 40 and 70, comparing their diets to cognitive function.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
On the other hand, the average group of Neanderthals had a brain capacity that’s consistent with them scoring about the same on cognitive tests as their Homo sapiens neighbors.
—ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
For example, daily behaviors that benefit physical health − like regular movement, good sleep and a nutritious diet − also play a central role in delaying cognitive decline.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cognitive
Cite this Entry
“Cognitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cognitive. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
C. H. Hamburg
cognitively
adverb
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