cogency

noun

ˈkō-jən(t)-sē How to pronounce cogency (audio)
Definition of cogencynext
1
as in effectiveness
the capacity to persuade the cogency of Thomas Paine's celebrated case for American independence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency.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
  1. effectiveness
  2. impact
  3. conclusiveness
  4. significance
  5. validity
  6. importance
  7. authority
  8. persuasiveness
Noun
  • Under Kennedy, the FDA has set up extra hurdles for vaccine testing and blocked the publication of research into the effectiveness of COVID-19 shots.
    — Matthew Perrone, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Under Kennedy, the FDA has also set up extra hurdles for vaccine testing and blocked the publication of research into the effectiveness of COVID-19 shots.
    — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of effectiveness
Noun
  • And how much of a team’s ranking is based on program history versus the number of returning starters — or perhaps the impact of portal recruits and/or true freshmen?
    — Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • From DiPietro on out, to defenseman Frederic Brunet to Fraser Minten to Marat Khusnutdinov to the club’s top prospect James Hagens, those players will have to have positive impacts if this team is to compete in the deadly Atlantic Division.
    — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of impact
Noun
  • On Friday morning, Burke’s defense team tried to sow doubt about the conclusiveness of the autopsy conducted in the case.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
  • But his dictionary, with its conclusiveness, was a huge publishing success.
    — Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Definition of conclusiveness
Noun
  • Keep it up Keeping in mind that the Chiefs chose not to play several players of significance in their first preseason game, their two best players were rookie running back Emmett Johnson on offense and safety Jaden Hicks on defense.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Two intense races are at the top of the ticket, and the results will not only hold significance for Georgians at home, but also for Georgia's representation in Congress.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of significance
Noun
  • If approved, that would pause the election process while the court rules on the anti-data center ordinance’s validity.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Questions also linger about the validity of the scientific evidence cited in the rule, and whether the agency is attempting to regulate medical care, which would be under the states’ jurisdiction.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of validity
Noun
  • Hispanic and African American households also collectively drive more than a third (36 percent) of TikTok Shop’s beauty spending — which highlights the importance of diverse products and paying attention to a range of multicultural audiences.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The district set its screen time use targets for elementary and middle school students, but did not set a target for high school students, noting the importance of digital literacy skills as students prepare for college or careers.
    — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of importance
Noun
  • Apart from a drunken brawl in Ukraine a few years ago, which resulted in no charges, she was not known to the authorities.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • An inmate who walked away from an El Dorado County conservation camp earlier this year was arrested in Southern California for burglary, authorities said on Wednesday.
    — Brandon Downs, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of authority
Noun
  • 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
  • Blarney Castle is, of course, home to the legendary Blarney Stone—a block of limestone built into the castle that’s said to gift eloquence and persuasiveness to whoever kisses it.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2026
Definition of persuasiveness

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cogency
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Cite this Entry

“Cogency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cogency. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cogency

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cogency

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