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

… researchers kept people just slightly sleep deprived … and watched the subjects' performance on cognitive tests plummet.

—James Hamblin

2

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The analyses of these complex neural pathways and the data could eventually unlock therapies for cognitive and emotional conditions, including dementia, mood disorders, and various impairments in cognitive control. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 May 2026

But alcohol’s ubiquity persists in the face of mountains of research linking heavy drinking to cancer, heart disease, stroke, cognitive decline, developmental disorders, gun violence, injuries, and countless other consequences. —Lev Facher, STAT, 12 May 2026

The three-year FAU/UCF study of 450 seniors in South and Central Florida found that drivers with mild cognitive decline exhibited less control of the gas pedal, took shorter or more fragmented trips, engaged in frequent hard braking, and drove lower average speeds. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026

As dining preferences fragment, the traditional menu experience places the entire cognitive burden on the guest. —Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 11 May 2026

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