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
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Recent Examples of cogency
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Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency.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
But in her first directorial feature in 15 years, cinematographer Johnes doesn’t organize this material with ideal cogency.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 9 Nov. 2022
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Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency.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
But in her first directorial feature in 15 years, cinematographer Johnes doesn’t organize this material with ideal cogency.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 9 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cogency
Noun
-
The third down against the Chiefs shows all three at work and perhaps provided a blueprint for how Denver can maximize Nix’s effectiveness in the postseason.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
12 Jan. 2026
-
It was used with extreme effectiveness by Adolf Hitler during the 1930s and continued until his death by suicide in 1945.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The bottle is small, easy to pack, and a little goes a long way—proof that sometimes even the smallest things have a big impact.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The economic cost is caused by losses in the fishing industry, damage to coastal communities and impacts to systems that help fortify those communities, like mangroves and reefs.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But his dictionary, with its conclusiveness, was a huge publishing success.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Some researchers have cast doubt on the significance of the study due to its small size.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Rosado is expected to address the significance of the developments for South Florida and the broader region.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Advocates have been at odds with the city for years over the state of their beloved shelter, prompting an audit that confirmed the validity of many of their concerns about mismanagement, operating over capacity and inadequate care.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
-
All of the schools involved determined there was no validity or credibility to the threats, according to investigators.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Miller said he’s always emphasized to his players the importance of getting out of their comfort zones and being the best version of themselves possible.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The dividing line between state and federal government Michele Goodwin, professor of constitutional law at Georgetown University, said understanding the significance of Illinois and Minnesota’s lawsuits begins with understanding the importance of the Bill of Rights and the 10th Amendment.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Please consult your local burn permitting authorities as to whether burning is allowed.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
-
The project has yielded some certainties and if repeated will allow the analysis of changes that eventually will help authorities make better decisions when eruptions occur.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The study released Thursday is not the first to try to measure the persuasiveness of AI.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
4 Dec. 2025
-
The film’s considerable power depends entirely on its moment-to-moment persuasiveness, on a set of narrative and aesthetic choices that, as presented—in a series of swift, kinetically composed, and jaggedly edited scenes—seldom feel like choices at all.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cogency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cogency. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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