Dictionary

cognizant en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• kôg'nǐzənt
• kŏg'nǐzənt (dialectal)
• /ˈkɒɡnɪzənt/ (dialectal)
• /ˈkɑɡnɪzənt/ (cot-caught-merger)
• /ˈkɒnɪzənt/ (UK)
• kŏg'nǐzənt (cot-caught-merger)
• /ˈkɔɡnɪzənt/ lot–cloth split
• /ˈkɔɡnɪzənt/
• kŏg'nǐzənt (Received-Pronunciation)
• kôg'nǐzənt lot–cloth split
• (Southern-England) audio
• kŏ'nĭzənt (obsolete)
• /ˈkɒɡnɪzənt/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

A new formation from cognizance + -ant; first attested in the 19th century. Compare Old French conoissant (present participle of conoistre; modern French connaissant), from Latin cognōscentem (accusative singular present participle of cōgnōscō).

Meanings

1. Aware; fully informed; having understanding of a fact.
   • The United States was cognizant of the need to ensure that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Congress were well informed of the proliferation constraints relating to any nuclear-related exports to Taiwan. 2018, David Albright, Andrea Stricker, chapter 6, in Taiwan’s Former Nuclear Weapons Program: Nuclear Weapons On-demand, Washington, DC: Institute for Science and International Security, page 86:
   • And now the memory has so far regained its dominion, that, in some measure, I am cognizant of my state. 1844, Edgar Allan Poe, “The Premature Burial”, in The Works of the Late Edgar Allan Poe, volume I, New York: J. S. Redfield, published 1850, page 336:
   • At the same time, we were cognisant that careful scholars should never solely rely on their own impressionistic observations, and, that our own impressions were inexact and not capable of being quantified. 2019, Li Huang, James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, →DOI, page 7:
   • The defendant is cognizant that this is a serious charge.
2. Sapient; self-aware.
   • It is important to note that zombies are not cognizant life forms. As such, they cannot be deterred or reasoned with in any way. However, there are zombie-inducing forces that can be deterred form^([sic]) further action. 2011 April 30, United States Strategic Command, CONPLAN 8888-11 "COUNTER-ZOMBIE DOMINANCE" (PDF), archived from the original on 15 Mar 2023, CONPLAN PHASES:
   • Is the cat truly cognizant in any real way?

Forms

Antonyms

unwitting

Deriveds

miscognizant · omnicognizant · noncognizant · precognizant · uncognizant · incognizant · cognizantly

Relateds

cognisant · cognize

Translations (27)

mi maurioho (aware) · cs vědomý si (aware) · cmn 察知的 (aware) · tr bilen (aware) · cmn 認識到的 /认识到的 (aware) · it cosciente (aware) · fr conscient (aware) · sv medveten (aware) · ru осозна́вший (aware) · nl bewust (aware) · de gewahr (aware) · bg осведомен (aware) · ota خبردار (aware) · cs znalý (aware) · es cognoscitivo (aware) · ca conscient (aware) · ru осведомлённый (aware) · pl świadomy (aware) · cmn 了解的 (aware) · ar مُدْرِك (aware) · fi tietoinen (aware) · es consciente (aware) · tr haberdar (aware) · es cognoscente (aware) · la conscius (aware) · bg наясно (aware) · cs informovaný (aware)