1
as in effectiveness
the capacity to persuade
the cogency of Thomas Paine's celebrated case for American independence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impact
the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect
satirical comments of great cogency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cogency
In one of its most demanding assignments of recent memory, the San Francisco Opera Chorus led by John Keene embodies one population after another — monkeys, undersea dwellers, gods and heavenly hangers-on — and does it with power and cogency.
—
Joshua Kosman,
San Francisco Chronicle,
15 Nov. 2025
TikTok’s algorithm started swamping me with humanities grad students of varying cogency.
—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
Masterpiece remakes offer something very different, speaking to us with surprising urgency and cogency across time.
—
Jim Shepard,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2025
The play echoes this ever-important sentiment but with far less cogency on an American stage.
—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Oct. 2024
European leaders refused to comment on the record about their perceptions of Biden’s cogency.
—
Francesca Chambers,
USA TODAY,
12 July 2024
The emphasis is on technical perfection, formal cogency, and unity of interpretive approach.
—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2024
Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency.
—
Fredrik Logevall,
Foreign Affairs,
20 Dec. 2022
Joshua Kosman,
San Francisco Chronicle,
15 Nov. 2025
TikTok’s algorithm started swamping me with humanities grad students of varying cogency.
—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
Masterpiece remakes offer something very different, speaking to us with surprising urgency and cogency across time.
—
Jim Shepard,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2025
The play echoes this ever-important sentiment but with far less cogency on an American stage.
—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Oct. 2024
European leaders refused to comment on the record about their perceptions of Biden’s cogency.
—
Francesca Chambers,
USA TODAY,
12 July 2024
The emphasis is on technical perfection, formal cogency, and unity of interpretive approach.
—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2024
Here, his body of writing, published as well as unpublished, historical as well as contemporaneous, stands out for its cogency, intricacy, and fluency.
—
Fredrik Logevall,
Foreign Affairs,
20 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cogency
Noun
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Mathematically, if quality is seven and acceptance is four, effectiveness is 28.
-
For Tokyo, that complicates the effectiveness of any unilateral intervention.
Noun
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In another recent study on the impact of AI on jobs, the California AI-unemployment tracker examined the state across industries, education levels and region and highlighted some worrying trends.
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Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital Editor, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
Noun
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But his dictionary, with its conclusiveness, was a huge publishing success.
Noun
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Bryan West Madison Square Garden does hold personal significance for Swift.
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Second lady Usha Vance mocking The New York Times for reading political significance into her Old Navy maternity dress and the New York Knicks celebrating their NBA title were featured in last week's News Quiz.
Noun
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Universities are built to think carefully about consequences, to weigh ethics, validity, unintended effects and long-term implications.
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Maybe there's validity to the idea that every loss doesn't need to be a lesson.
Noun
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There is no public address system reminding some fans the importance of a looming third down.
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The importance of falling well has only grown as players have adapted movement patterns from clay and hard courts to grass.
Noun
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Deputies served the warrant on Adrian Cruz and collected evidence that led to Cruz’s arrest on felony animal cruelty charges, authorities said.
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In an early instance of what authorities believe to have been an extortion attempt, federal prosecutors charged a California man with sending a fake ransom note via text message to Savannah Guthrie's family.
Noun
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That McDuffie is close—despite his low-key affect and late entry in the race—speaks more to apprehension about Lewis George than to the persuasiveness of his campaign.
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The persuasiveness of the AI persona is so strong that people can be misled.
Cite this Entry
“Cogency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cogency. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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