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

Relevance

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 Backhaus, by contrast, works it all out for her audience in terms that might be hopeful but lack theatrical cogency. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 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 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 — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency.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
  • The idea would be to equip all parties, from payers to providers to patients, with insights into effectiveness, cost, and value.
    — Dana P. Goldman, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Other topical treatments—such as retinoids, peptides, and vitamin C—are backed by years of research on safety and effectiveness.
    — Ashley Abramson, Allure, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of effectiveness
Noun
  • Shelie Miller, a University of Michigan professor who studies the environmental impacts of products, said Halloween costumes, like fast fashion, are often made cheaply from plastic materials.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The cyclists cross the state, generating an economic impact estimated at $25 million.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 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
  • Its more recent holiday campaigns have similarly emphasized the emotional significance of gifting alongside its signature jewelry collections.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The significance of the issue was clearly apparent by the fact that more than a dozen lawmakers attended the hearing during what is the Legislature’s recess.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of significance
Noun
  • The latter predicts a single universe by denying the universal validity of Schrödinger’s equation.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • According to the court, while NetChoice could challenge the validity of the Georgia law, the group had not sufficiently argued that enforcement of the law would be unconstitutional.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of validity
Noun
  • These findings point to the importance of substantive local relationships for multinational companies.
    — Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The trade association acknowledged Children’s Mercy’s importance in providing specialized pediatric care, but said ACA coverage must remain financially sustainable across Missouri’s health care system.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of importance
Noun
  • The roughly 3-inch pocket knife was confiscated by authorities, Manfre said.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Lurie pointed out that the FDA, under federal law, does not have the authority to enforce those pharmacy requirements.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of authority
Noun
  • Others cite the lack of a persuasive justification for conflict, the strikes themselves and subsequent fits and starts of peacemaking as evidence that America’s global image has been undermined, as has the persuasiveness of its public claims.
    — Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of persuasiveness

Browse Nearby Words

cog
cogency
cogent
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cogency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cogency. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cogency

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cogency

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All