Cogent
adj.thoughtful, capableformal
What it means
Clear, relevant, and logically forceful enough to persuade.
Reach for it when praising reasoning whose structure and evidence support its conclusion
The engineer made a cogent case for repairing the bridge before widening it.
Choose between these
7- everyday
the communication successfully changes minds
not when Persuasion can use status, charm, or pressure instead of cogent logic.
- everyday
plain praise should foreground the quality of thought
not when Well-reasoned is accurate but lacks cogent's sense of concise force.
- professional
the whole case earns belief
not when A convincing performance can rely on emotion or realism rather than reasoning.
- professional
the argument lands with strength
not when Forceful delivery can overpower listeners while the reasoning remains poor.
- professional
sound
the argument rests on reliable reasoning or evidence
not when Sound can be correct without being clearly presented or persuasive.
- formal
the case has unusually strong force
not when Compelling is stronger and can describe interest or urgency.
- literary
the reasoning is exceptionally clear and ordered
not when Lucid reasoning can be easy to follow yet rest on weak evidence.
Said against
3- illogical
- unconvincing
- specious
It naturally appears in
3- cogent argument
Her cogent argument addressed the strongest objection directly.
- cogent case
The usage data made a cogent case for keeping the evening route.
- cogent explanation
A cogent explanation connected each recommendation to one observed risk.
Where this comes from
- merriam-webster, adjective sense 1 opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.