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 — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency.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

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

As part of his plea, Kohberger waived the right to appeal, but that does not preclude him from filing a new case challenging the validity of his plea agreement.

— Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
As Nora’s speech and Catherine’s kind moments suggest, characters’ actions don’t consistently reflect their overall moral stance, which is often based on misunderstandings and falsehoods, its validity unknowable even to them.

— Judy Berman, Time, 27 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

Browse Nearby Words

cog

cogency

cogent

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“Cogency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cogency. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of cogency

noun

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