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 — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency.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
  • Calcium and vitamin D are often supplemented together for bone health, but research shows mixed results on their effectiveness in improving bone mineral density or reducing fracture risk.
    — Jennifer Lefton, Verywell Health, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Milwaukee police officials have stood by the technology's effectiveness, despite months of criticism and two officers facing criminal charges for misuse of the system.
    — David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of effectiveness
Noun
  • As Roxana has pointed out all season about these influencer cameos, her visit makes zero impact.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Their arrival is also welcome for many locals, battered by the economic impact of the Iran war their American visitors were fighting.
    — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 4 Sep. 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
  • The significance of the demonstration lies not simply in the successful release of the weapons, but in the different effects that the three TOLUN variants are designed to deliver.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Luxon, however, downplayed the significance of Kiribati's non-attendance and of Nauru's rare dissent to the clause in the Pacific leaders' end of summit communiqué.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of significance
Noun
  • Hudak indicated in Friday’s news conference that police are looking into the validity of the document.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • And as with the actual Stanford prison experiment, questions of ethics and scientific validity are sidelined in favor of getting splashy results by any means necessary.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of validity
Noun
  • Guerra emphasized the importance of teaching younger generations about LGBTQ hate.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Initially, the group aired jingles on the radio and distributed flyers around Ife, stressing the importance of early detection.
    — Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of importance
Noun
  • Local authorities say rules have been set by US authorities barring personnel from visiting cannabis dispensaries and taking part in watersports including jet skiing and parasailing.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said forensic evidence and intelligence findings tied Russia to the attack, in which authorities found a drone carrying an explosive device beside a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cogency

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cogency

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