cognizance

noun

ˈkäg-nə-zən(t)s How to pronounce cognizance (audio)
Definition of cognizancenext
1
as in awareness
a state of being aware take cognizance of what is happening

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in familiarity
knowledge gained by personal experience seemed to have no cognizance of last night's events

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 cognizance How can the federal courts take any cognizance of that in any way at all? — David Frum, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026 Even, hoping against hope, if there were such an acceptance of the president’s plan, mere cognizance of history and current realities in the Middle East surely leads us to doubts that the peace could hold. — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 3 Oct. 2025 The two Democrats, Needleman of Essex and Steinberg of Westport, are co-chairman of the Legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee, which has cognizance over PURA. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2025 Outside of vaginoplasty, there’s no procedure where cognizance of touch response is as integral to surgical success. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for cognizance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cognizance
  1. awareness
  2. familiarity
  3. attention
  4. acquaintance
  5. mindfulness
  6. experience
  7. consciousness
Noun
  • Central States recently joined the Expanding ESOPs coalition, which includes nearly 100 organizations working together to grow employer ownership here in Arkansas and beyond by increasing awareness and improving policy.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Veterans Place says events like the Cornhole Classic not only raise money, but also increase awareness of the challenges many veterans face after military service.
    — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of awareness
Noun
  • Some of that will come simply from familiarity with Denver’s offense.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • And so many comments assumed familiarity with the context for everyone else.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of familiarity
Noun
  • Matt Bevin has for months claimed Johnson is unable to afford him a fair trial and is using the case to gain attention from the media.
    — Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2026
  • That’s the part of the guarantee-game economy that deserves more attention now.
    — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of attention
Noun
  • Multiple friends and acquaintances posted Facebook tributes to Adams.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In interviews, parents described forgoing necessities, falling behind on bills or relying on acquaintances to watch their children.
    — Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of acquaintance
Noun
  • On Malta, the adults-only Verdala Wellness Hotel, Corinthia Palace, Phoenicia, and ME Malta offer pools, spacious spas, focused workouts, and mindfulness activities designed to restore and rejuvenate the mind, body, and spirit.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 5 Sep. 2026
  • This was the Jack Kornfield, the mindfulness guru who wrote A Path With Heart, the book that had launched Britton’s journey into Buddhism.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of mindfulness
Noun
  • Together, the workforce brings more than 250 combined years of Minuteman III experience at each base, according to the Air Force.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • To be with people of different ages, races, and experiences is a gift.
    — Gloria Steinem, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of experience
Noun
  • The former Arsenal man had been playing for Lyon in France’s top flight for the past three years, on the fringes of most people’s footballing consciousnesses.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • It’s well known that psychedelics such as LSD can spark psychotic breaks, but meditation can produce altered states of consciousness almost as powerful as those induced by psychedelics.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of consciousness

Browse Nearby Words

cognizable
cognizance
cognizant
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cognizance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognizance. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of loath

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

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

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All