cognizable

adjective

cog·​ni·​za·​ble ˈkäg-nə-zə-bəl How to pronounce cognizable (audio)
käg-ˈnī-
1
: capable of being judicially heard and determined
a cognizable claim
2
: capable of being known
cognizable events
cognizably
ˈkäg-nə-zə-blē How to pronounce cognizable (audio)
käg-ˈnī-
adverb

Did you know?

It's easy to recognize the cogni- in cognizable and in other English words that have to do with knowing: cognitive, incognito, precognition, and recognition, for example. They're all from Latin cognōscere ("to get to know" or "to acquire knowledge of"). Cognizable was formed in the 17th century from the root of cognizance, which in English means "knowledge" or "awareness." Cognizance traces to cognōscere via Anglo-French conoisance and conoissant, meaning "aware" or "mindful." Cognizable was used in its legal sense almost from its introduction, and that meaning continues to be most common today.

Examples of cognizable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Even with Klayman not meeting the $30,000 threshold, Delgado could have recognized jurisdiction if Klayman stated a cognizable claim. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Sep. 2024 Garbarino will be tasked with proving that the DHS leader has committed no less than high crimes and misdemeanors, a rather tall order given the total lack of evidence or even cognizable accusation that Mayorkas did anything improper, let alone remotely rising to this standard. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2024 Rule 23 requires the plaintiffs to prove the existence of a cognizable class of persons who have legal interests in common. Thomas Baker, Forbes, 5 May 2023 But the storage unit can make those problems discrete, cognizable. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper’s Magazine , 7 Dec. 2021 See all Example Sentences for cognizable 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cognizable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

cogniz(ance) + -able

First Known Use

circa 1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cognizable was circa 1662

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Dictionary Entries Near cognizable

Cite this Entry

“Cognizable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cognizable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Legal Definition

cognizable

adjective
cog·​ni·​za·​ble ˈkäg-nə-zə-bəl, käg-ˈnī- How to pronounce cognizable (audio)
1
: capable of being known
specifically : capable of being recognized as a group because of a common characteristic (as race or gender)

Note: Systematic exclusion of members of a cognizable group from a jury violates the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution, which requires that jurors be selected from jury pools that represent a fair cross section of the community.

2
: capable of being judicially heard and determined
a cognizable claim

More from Merriam-Webster on cognizable

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