cognition
kog-NISH-uhn
/kɒɡˈnɪʃ.ən/
The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
Covers high-level mental faculties including thinking, reasoning, remembering, problem-solving, and decision-making.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'cognoscere', formed from 'co-' (together) and 'gnoscere' (to know). It shares ancient Indo-European ancestry with the English word 'know'.
Word relationships
- reasoning: 'Reasoning' is one specific subset of cognition focused on logical deduction.
- intellect: 'Intellect' focuses on reasoning capacity, while 'cognition' includes all information-processing functions.
- instinct: Innate, unlearned behavior operating without conscious mental processing.
Commonly confused with
- recognition: Recognition is identifying something previously encountered; cognition is the broader process of processing knowledge.
Word family
- cognitive (adjective): Relating to cognition or mental processes.
- cognizant (adjective): Having knowledge or being aware of.
Collocations
- cognitive decline
- human cognition
- social cognition
- embodied cognition
Example sentences
- "Sleep deprivation severely impairs executive cognition, reducing decision-making speed and working memory capacity." Cognitive Psychology
- "Researchers strive to create artificial systems that emulate human visual cognition." Artificial Intelligence
Memory hook
COG-nition: Your brain's internal gear COGS turning to figure things out. Mental machinery acquiring knowledge.
When not to use
Do not use to describe emotional or purely reflexive physical responses.
Fun facts
- Comparative cognition studies reveal that crows can solve multi-step puzzles, demonstrating complex reasoning once thought unique to primates.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.