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
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
Many bring powerful cognitive strengths that remain invisible in cultures obsessed with ease of expression.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
The new approach is designed to improve cognitive performance and combat monotony.
Plant Cell Division — Expedition 73 commander Takuya Onishi used a centrifuge and a strain of cultured tobacco cells to study how varying levels of gravity affect plant formation.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 11 July 2025
Studies have shown that older adults who regularly eat walnuts and other nuts have a lower risk of cognitive decline.9
Support your gut: Research suggests that walnut consumption positively alters the gut microbiome, the community of microbes in your digestive system.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 9 July 2025
These people were also much more likely to have pronounced cognitive decline in the future.
—New Atlas, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cognitive
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Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
The new approach is designed to improve cognitive performance and combat monotony.
Plant Cell Division — Expedition 73 commander Takuya Onishi used a centrifuge and a strain of cultured tobacco cells to study how varying levels of gravity affect plant formation.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 11 July 2025
Studies have shown that older adults who regularly eat walnuts and other nuts have a lower risk of cognitive decline.9
Support your gut: Research suggests that walnut consumption positively alters the gut microbiome, the community of microbes in your digestive system.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 9 July 2025
These people were also much more likely to have pronounced cognitive decline in the future.
—New Atlas, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cognitive
Cite this Entry
“Cognitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cognitive. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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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