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cognitive

KOG-nih-tiv /ˈkɒɡ.nə.tɪv/

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Relating to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning.

Refers to the internal architecture and activity of the mind as opposed to emotional or physical processes.

The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'cognoscere' (to get to know, recognize), which combines 'co-' (together) with 'gnoscere' (to know, related to Greek 'gnosis'). It emphasizes the active mental process of bringing information together to understand it.

Word relationships

mental: 'Mental' is broad and general, while 'cognitive' specifically relates to information processing, memory, and reasoning.
intellectual: 'Intellectual' often refers to high-level academic thinking, whereas 'cognitive' covers all mental operations down to basic perception.

physical: Relating to the body rather than the mental processing system.
emotional: Relating to feelings rather than structured information processing.

Commonly confused with

incognito: 'Incognito' means having one's identity concealed, whereas 'cognitive' means relating to mental thought processes.

Word family

cognition (noun): The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge.
cognitively (adverb): In a cognitive manner.

Collocations

cognitive function
cognitive development
cognitive bias
cognitive psychology

Example sentences

"Sleep deprivation severely impairs cognitive functions such as attention span and working memory." Psychology paper

Memory hook

COGNITIVE: COG-nitive—think of the mental COGS turning in your brain. COGNITIVE = mental cogs turning to process knowledge.

When not to use

Do not use to describe purely emotional reactions or physical reflexes.

Fun facts

The term 'cognitive dissonance' was coined by Leon Festinger in 1957 to describe the mental discomfort felt when holding two conflicting beliefs.