Word of the Day

: January 8, 2007

cognoscible

adjective kog-NAH-suh-bul

What It Means

: cognizable, knowable

cognoscible in Context

"Discourse must be in words, and it is possible to give a name to that which is not understood nor cognoscible by human reason." (Flann O'Brien, The Dalkey Archive)

Did You Know?

The exact synonym of "cognoscible" is the far better-known "cognizable." Both words mean "capable of being judicially heard and determined" (as "a cognoscible claim") and "capable of being known" (as "cognoscible circumstances"). Both terms are from Latin "cognoscere," meaning "to know." And both appeared in the 17th century, less than two decades apart -- first, "cognoscible," direct from the Late Latin adjective "cognoscibilis"; then, "cognizable," from the English noun "cognizance" ("knowledge").