cognitive
adjective
cog·ni·tive
ˈkäg-nə-tiv 
1
: of, relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity (such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering)
cognitive development
Mild cognitive impairment … involves a decline in mental acuity that is noticeable but not severe enough to be diagnosed as dementia.—
Nicholas Bakalar
Nicholas Bakalar… researchers kept people just slightly sleep deprived … and watched the subjects' performance on cognitive tests plummet.—James Hamblin
James Hamblin2
philosophy
: based on or capable of being reduced to empirical factual knowledge
debate whether normative statements can be cognitive
cognitively
adverb
Examples of cognitive in a Sentence
The best toys for toddlers engage their interests while developing their fine motor, gross motor, cognitive, and social skills.
—Ashley Ziegler and Katrina Cossey, Parents, 12 Nov. 2024
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
Ashley Ziegler and Katrina Cossey, Parents, 12 Nov. 2024
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Interacting with pets can improve your health and may even offer some protection against cognitive decline.
—Margret Grebowicz, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Higher lifelong enrichment was associated with an up to seven-year delay in mild cognitive impairment and an up to five-year delay in dementia onset.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The data is clear that, over time, exercise improves both mental health and cognitive abilities such as problem-solving, Bigliassi said.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
One of the first researchers to study musical anhedonia, Robert Zatorre, a cognitive neuroscientist at McGill University, knew how powerful that release could be.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cognitive
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Margret Grebowicz, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Higher lifelong enrichment was associated with an up to seven-year delay in mild cognitive impairment and an up to five-year delay in dementia onset.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The data is clear that, over time, exercise improves both mental health and cognitive abilities such as problem-solving, Bigliassi said.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
One of the first researchers to study musical anhedonia, Robert Zatorre, a cognitive neuroscientist at McGill University, knew how powerful that release could be.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cognitive
Cite this Entry
“Cognitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cognitive. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cognitive
adjective
cog·ni·tive
ˈkäg-nət-iv
: 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
: of, relating to, or being conscious intellectual activity (as thinking, reasoning, remembering, imagining, or learning words)
the cognitive elements of perception—C. H. Hamburg
C. H. Hamburg
cognitively
adverb
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