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 — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency.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

The traditional flu shot ranges in effectiveness from 22% to 56%, according to the Mayo Clinic.

— Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2026
One of the reasons people are reluctant to get a flu shot is because of its sometimes weak effectiveness in protecting against symptoms.

— Alice Park, Time, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of effectiveness

Noun

Exports flowing from Saudi ports have blunted some of the impact of the Strait of Hormuz closure.

— Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
This data empowers stronger salary negotiations, enabling employees to support their requests with market evidence and demonstrated impact.

— Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of impact

Noun

City staff are balancing the bar’s cultural and historical significance with concerns raised by the Los Angeles Unified School District and residents about parking, noise, traffic and public safety.

— Isaac Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Jim Beam was tapping into that because there’s a cultural significance to football.

— Chris Perugini, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of significance

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

Whatever his role, Brown will have absolute importance to the 76ers this season.

— Tony Jones, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Disruptions to oil and gas exports have highlighted just how reliant Gulf economies still are on fossil fuel revenues, and the importance of renewable energy to reduce this dependency.

— Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of importance

Noun

The Fulton County Commission unanimously voted Wednesday to adopt a resolution formally opposing efforts by development authorities to reduce property taxes as a data center recruitment tool.

— Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
The next year, health authorities linked a cyclospora outbreak in part to Taylor Farms, tracing it back to the same central Mexico facility implicated in this year’s outbreak.

— Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 6 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

Browse Nearby Words

cog

cogency

cogent

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cogency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cogency. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of cogency

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on cogency

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nurture

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes