Word
cognoscenti
Phoneticscognoscen·ti
US/ˌkɑɡnɔˈʃɛnˌti/
UK/kˌɒɡnəsˈɛnti/
Definition
n. a group of people who know a lot about a specific subject, like art, music, or fashion. They are experts who understand the small details that most people miss.
n. people who possess specialized knowledge or a high degree of expertise in a particular field, especially the fine arts or literature.
Examples
“The film was a hit with the cognoscenti but ignored by the public.”
“While the new restaurant received mixed reviews from casual diners, it was immediately praised by the local culinary cognoscenti.”
“The artist's subtle use of historical references was intended to be decoded by the cognoscenti, rather than the general gallery-going audience.”
Examples
simple
“The film was a hit with the cognoscenti but ignored by the public.”
contextual
“While the new restaurant received mixed reviews from casual diners, it was immediately praised by the local culinary cognoscenti.”
complex
“The artist's subtle use of historical references was intended to be decoded by the cognoscenti, rather than the general gallery-going audience.”
Usage
A plural noun that takes a plural verb; it is the plural form of the Italian 'cognoscente'.
Real-World Examples
“Unnoticed by the London art cognoscenti, the painter Robert Lenkiewicz, who has died from heart problems aged 60, was perennially out of fashion although his work was popular with the public.” “The Maremma coast is chic but discreet, Tuscany for the cognoscenti.” “Monika and Charles were a striking couple for almost half a century on the city’s cultural landscape – and the familiar faces of the cognoscenti that still holds on to the idea of “Bombay” were all there at the funeral mass this morning.” “With three heavyweights and the Danish side that had seduced the cognoscenti at Mexico 86, this group looked too close to call.” Etymology
Borrowed from Italian cognoscente, itself from Latin cognōscere, "to know, become aware of".
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cognoscenti