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 — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency.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
  • More broadly, Kimi K3’s capabilities are renewing questions about the effectiveness of Washington’s tech export curbs.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • His mobility has long been an asset in sack avoidance, though even that has seen a dip in effectiveness over the past two years.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
Definition of effectiveness
Noun
  • The voucher effect The state’s voucher expansion has had a profound impact on the growth of Catholic schools.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
  • The ongoing Cyclospora outbreak underscores the impact of underfunded public health systems, as CDC staff and lab cuts impede crucial detection and investigation efforts.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of impact
Noun
  • But his dictionary, with its conclusiveness, was a huge publishing success.
    — Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Definition of conclusiveness
Noun
  • As a prototype for mass-timber towers of the future, this is a moment of global significance.
    — Adam Williams July 24, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
  • The quiet surroundings belie the significance of what is being built there.
    — Elsa Ohlen,Greg Kennedy, CNBC, 23 July 2026
Definition of significance
Noun
  • In addition to defending the validity of the Sweet Home decision as the best reading of the law, the cases allege a number of procedural flaws in how the Department of Interior changed the rule.
    — Patrick Parenteau, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
  • The city's Board of Canvassers voted 2-to-1 on Wednesday, July 15, to dismiss a challenge to the validity of her signatures after Beauchaine took the 5th Amendment against self-incrimination rather than answering any questions.
    — Katherine Gregg, The Providence Journal, 16 July 2026
Definition of validity
Noun
  • The outgoing president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, Weijia Jiang, introduced Trump after discussing the importance of press freedom.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • The sixth chapter emphasizes the importance of Torah study, and it was added later, likely by about the 9th century.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
Definition of importance
Noun
  • Torrential rains caused flash floods that swamped homes, washed out bridges and led to water rescues in West Virginia, authorities said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • Garcia then ran into the neighborhood, prosecutors said, before authorities chased him down and apprehended him.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 23 July 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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Cite this Entry

“Cogency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cogency. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cogency

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cogency

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