Make Your Point > Archived Issues > COGENT
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pronounce
COGENT:
Say it "KO junt."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
At the heart of our word cogent is the powerful and omnipresent Latin agere, meaning "to do, to drive, to perform, to set in motion or to keep in motion."
We can glimpse agere in tons of English words, like act, agile, agenda, redact, navigate, transaction, litigation, ambiguous, m___gate ("to make softer or gentler"), and c___igate ("to make pure," or less literally, "to punish with harsh words").
Could you recall those last two?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Let's say you make an amazing speech, one that's fabulously persuasive, absolutely convincing. It gets everybody up and busy doing what you've told them to do. Your words are so forceful and persuasive that they drive everyone into motion.
Your speech is cogent.
That word "cogent" has Latin roots that literally mean "driven together, performing together, or set in motion together." It makes sense, when you think of all those guys in the picture above, jumping up to do exactly what Patrick Henry just told them to do. "Cogent" has been around in English since the mid-1600s, and it almost always describes statements and arguments that are clear, strong, and convincing.
In other words, cogent things, like Henry's speech, are both powerful and persuasive.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "her cogent explanation," "their summary was cogent."
Other forms:
The noun is "cogency:" "Her speech rings with cogency."
And the adverb is "cogently:" "She spoke cogently;" "They cogently presented their summary."
how to use it:
This common, formal word has a positive tone.
Talk about cogent arguments; cogent advice and assessments; cogent stories, visions, and documentaries; cogent headlines, articles, and books; cogent summaries and explanations, etc.
Even questions can be cogent, if they direct the conversation in a purposeful, powerful way.
I should mention that "cogent" doesn't mean exactly the same thing as "coherent." Coherent statements, and coherent people, are those that are clear, making sense, talking in a way that people can understand, talking normally instead of babbling or talking nonsense. Sometimes you'll hear someone say "cogent" when they really mean "coherent." It's an easy mix-up. And it probably won't confuse anyone. But if you're like me and you're picky about words, then you'll use "coherent" when you mean "making sense," and you'll use "cogent" when you mean "making people agree or take action."
examples:
"Science and policy intertwine in this cogent study of global sea-level change and the challenges of addressing it — from Alaskan villages forced inland from the coast to the ongoing surge of climate-change denialism."
— Nature, 5 October 2017
"Beyoncé's determined approach to self-discovery and rediscovery across 'Lemonade' offers a cogent vision of defiance in times of uncertainty."
— Kenneth Womack, Salon, 2 May 2020
has this page helped you understand "cogent"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "cogent" without saying "compelling" or "convincing."
try it out:
Think of a tweet, a post, an article, or a book that really opened your eyes to something, helped you understand it, and moved you to action.
Fill in the blanks: "_____ is a cogent (explanation of, or primer on) (some issue)."
Example: "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness is a cogent primer on one of the most dire crises in our nation."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Polygon of Predestination!"
With a high five to TheWordFinder.com for its puzzle generator, I'm Pat-Sajacking that spin-the-wheel game from TV. Apply your alliterative acumen to solve the puzzle. The category all month long is: "Beastly Blunders and Criminal Capers."
From the previous issue:
With fire being one of our oldest and richest metaphors, these phrases (and tons of their variations) have been around since at least 1611.
Try this last one today:
Not sure yet? Need to see a bit more? Click here.
review this word:
A. MIXED.
B. MUDDLED.
C. MULTILATERAL.
2. In the Washington Post, Dana Milbank wrote about a politician lashing out "indiscriminately, in all directions." This rage, Milbank wrote, "was as cogent as a _____ and as subtle as a column of Turkish tanks."
A. steel-toe boot
B. primal scream
C. fifth of whiskey
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
At the heart of our word cogent is the powerful and omnipresent Latin agere, meaning "to do, to drive, to perform, to set in motion or to keep in motion."
Part of speech:
This common, formal word has a positive tone.
"Science and policy intertwine in this cogent study of global sea-level change and the challenges of addressing it — from Alaskan villages forced inland from the coast to the ongoing surge of climate-change denialism."
Explain the meaning of "cogent" without saying "compelling" or "convincing."
Think of a tweet, a post, an article, or a book that really opened your eyes to something, helped you understand it, and moved you to action.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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