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A cogent argument is one that really drives its point home because it is clear, coherent, and readily understandable, and perhaps also because of the etymological history of cogent. Cogent comes from the Latin verb cogere, meaning “to drive or force together.” Something described as cogent fuses thoughts and ideas into a meaningful whole that others can readily grasp and accept. A cogent explanation is a convincing one, and cogent analysis has us nodding along because it is clear and pertinent. Cogere was formed in Latin by combining the prefix co- with the verb agere, “to drive, lead, or act,” a root which is also the source of our familiar noun agent. Handily enough, one definition of agent is “a means or instrument by which a guiding intelligence achieves a result.” It follows logically then that cogency is often a worthwhile agent, indeed.
Synonyms
Examples of cogent in a Sentence
David Hajdu, Mother Jones, September/October 2003
Your article provides cogent reading.
—Mario Cuomo, letter
U.S. News & World Report, 23 Mar. 1992
Your arguments, whether or not one agrees with them, are generally cogent, and at times elegantly expressed.
—Willard R. Espy, letter
Wall Street Journal, 24 Apr. 1990
The author … makes a cogent and finely nuanced case for the wisdom—indeed, the necessity of this vision.
—Marian Sandmaier, New York Times Book Review, 8 Feb. 1987
the results of the DNA fingerprinting were the most cogent evidence for acquittal
Justine Harman, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025
Less a series of biographies and more a cogent analysis of the evolution of the role of first lady, this book provides an eminently readable introduction to the women who have filled this role.
—Kayla Randall, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Dec. 2024
Too much chasing after money and success, too much pandering to the popular taste, too much weight on ideology or politics or dogma of any stripe, and God, in the cogent phrase of Quincy Jones, walks out of the room.
—Donna Tartt, Harper's Magazine, 2 July 2024
No one in the world of politics or culture has emerged with a cogent and consistent anti-Trump message since his victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris, and the social media platforms that hosted many of the influencers of eight years ago are now owned by Mr. Trump’s billionaire allies.
—Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cogent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cogent. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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cogent
adjective
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