cognitive

adjective

cog·​ni·​tive ˈkäg-nə-tiv How to pronounce cognitive (audio)
1
: of, relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity (such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering)
cognitive impairment
2
: based on or capable of being reduced to empirical factual knowledge
cognitively adverb

Examples of cognitive in a Sentence

Homo sapiens' survival is founded in their filling an evolutionary niche referred to as the cognitive niche. Daniel Grassam, Skeptical Inquirer, July/August 2001
Researchers are debating whether heading balls can dent the cognitive skills of young soccer players for life. Lisa McLaughlin, Time, 5 June 2000
Further into the forebrain, motor functions trail off and cognitive functions, involving planning and thinking about the future, begin. Sandra Blakeslee, New York Times, 8 Nov. 1994
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The cause of this finding is unclear—whether the fall happened because of undiagnosed dementia or if the fall somehow contributed to cognitive decline later remains unknown. Kristen Fischer, Health, 20 Nov. 2024 His supporters remained loyal because of, not in spite of, court cases, conspiracies, and cognitive questions. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024 Along with memory problems and changes in cognitive thinking, losing your sense of smell could be an early indicator of dementia, according to a report in Parade. Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 18 Nov. 2024 Preliminary results suggest that rats required to wait for their rewards show signs of shifting from a pessimistic cognitive style to an optimistic one in a test designed to measure rodent optimism. Kelly Lambert, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cognitive 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin cognitīvus "concerned with knowing," from Latin cognitus, past participle of cognōscere "to get to know, acquire knowledge of" + -īvus -ive — more at cognition

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cognitive was in 1586

Dictionary Entries Near cognitive

Cite this Entry

“Cognitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cognitive. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

cognitive

adjective
cog·​ni·​tive ˈkäg-nət-iv How to pronounce cognitive (audio)
: of, relating to, or being conscious mental activities (as thinking, reasoning, remembering, imagining, learning words, and using language)

Medical Definition

cognitive

adjective
cog·​ni·​tive ˈkäg-nət-iv How to pronounce cognitive (audio)
: of, relating to, or being conscious intellectual activity (as thinking, reasoning, remembering, imagining, or learning words)
the cognitive elements of perceptionC. H. Hamburg
cognitively adverb
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!