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
Per its official synopsis, the book includes tips on sharpening emotional and cognitive intelligence, as well as overcoming self-doubt and rejection.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
The couple’s passing also drew attention to the vulnerabilities faced by older adults living with advanced cognitive impairment.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 29 Dec. 2025
The study, led by University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, found that restoring a central cellular energy molecule in mice’s brains reversed the markers of the disease, including brain changes and cognitive decline.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Flow Space predicted that in the next year, cognitive health and dementia planning will increasingly become a priority women start to tackle in their 40s and 50s rather than in their 60s and 70s.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cognitive
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Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
The couple’s passing also drew attention to the vulnerabilities faced by older adults living with advanced cognitive impairment.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 29 Dec. 2025
The study, led by University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, found that restoring a central cellular energy molecule in mice’s brains reversed the markers of the disease, including brain changes and cognitive decline.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Flow Space predicted that in the next year, cognitive health and dementia planning will increasingly become a priority women start to tackle in their 40s and 50s rather than in their 60s and 70s.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cognitive
Cite this Entry
“Cognitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cognitive. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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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