ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cognizant

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈkɑɡnəzənt// cog·nizant

adj. aware of something or having knowledge about it. You use this when you want to sound more formal or professional.

adj. having knowledge or awareness of a particular fact or situation. Often used in formal or legal contexts to describe a state of being informed.


SIMPLE

The manager is cognizant of the new safety rules.

CONTEXTUAL

The board of directors must be cognizant of the risks involved before they approve the merger.

COMPLEX

A cognizant observer of the political landscape would recognize that the recent shift in public opinion was not a sudden change, but the result of years of subtle policy adjustments.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

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).

© 2026 English Reference