COGENCY Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

cogency

noun

ˈkō-jən(t)-sē

Definition of cogency

as in effectiveness

the capacity to persuade the cogency of Thomas Paine's celebrated case for American independence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in impact

the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect satirical comments of great cogency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cogency In one of its most demanding assignments of recent memory, the San Francisco Opera Chorus led by John Keene embodies one population after another — monkeys, undersea dwellers, gods and heavenly hangers-on — and does it with power and cogency. — Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Nov. 2025 TikTok’s algorithm started swamping me with humanities grad students of varying cogency. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2025 Masterpiece remakes offer something very different, speaking to us with surprising urgency and cogency across time. — Jim Shepard, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025 The play echoes this ever-important sentiment but with far less cogency on an American stage. — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024 European leaders refused to comment on the record about their perceptions of Biden’s cogency. — Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024 The emphasis is on technical perfection, formal cogency, and unity of interpretive approach. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency. — Fredrik Logevall, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2022

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cogency

Noun

However, low-carb diets generally have more evidence supporting their effectiveness in improving blood sugar.

— Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 17 Sep. 2026
Lockheed Martin says the missile offers greater range and effectiveness than existing air-to-air weapons.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of effectiveness

Noun

The financial cost is just one measure of the impact of the Iran war, which also is affecting oil prices and the stock market and has led to deaths and injuries of American troops.

— Ben Finley, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Established in 2006, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to protect the environment and promote sustainable development by limiting climate impacts and promoting renewable energy sources.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of impact

Noun

Prosecutors disputed the significance that the defense placed on the payment, arguing that Noreus agreed to surrender the money only after years of investigation, her indictment and two weeks of trial.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
Unfortunately, the significance of these exposures usually becomes clearer only years later.

— Cristina Johnson, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of significance

Noun

Instead, its validity depends on the mathematical rules governing information updates.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
On September 25, the blue state AGs have to respond to a motion from red state Iowa and Montana to take the validity of the antitrust suit to the Supreme Court.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of validity

Noun

The carrier’s return also highlights the continuing importance of maintenance and modernization in keeping large naval vessels operational decades after their commissioning.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
Doing so demonstrates that the company’s leader understands AI’s importance to the bottom line.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of importance

Noun

Belarusian authorities haven't announced any details of the prisoners' release yet.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
European authorities have linked Moscow to a rising number of drone incursions, sabotage incidents, cyberattacks, and other hostile acts across the continent in recent months.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of authority

Noun

The persuasiveness of these efforts, however, is diminished when a WRO is modified without transparency and despite readily accessible evidence indicating that conditions for the workers have not truly improved.

— Charity Ryerson, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
What gets funded should reflect the merits of the opportunity, not the persuasiveness of the person who built the deck.

— Amer Al Ahbabi, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of persuasiveness

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cogency

cogent

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“Cogency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cogency. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of cogency

noun

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