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cogent

3 antonyms and opposites of cogent, grouped by meaning.

Adjective — Clear, logical and convincing enough that a reasonable person would be persuaded.

Antonyms

unconvincing incoherent specious

How to Use Cogent

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

a cogent argument cogent reasons cogent evidence cogent case cogently argued

Formal, common in academic, legal and editorial writing; it describes arguments, reasons and evidence rather than people.

Etymology

From Latin cogent-, the present participle stem of cogere meaning to drive together or compel, from co- together and agere to drive.

Full origin of cogent →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between cogent and coherent?

Coherent means the parts hang together and can be followed. Cogent goes further and means the argument is also strong enough to convince. A case can be perfectly coherent and still not cogent if the evidence is thin.

What is the difference between cogent and valid?

In logic, valid means the conclusion follows from the premises regardless of whether those premises are true. Cogent is the everyday judgement that an argument is both well reasoned and grounded in believable facts.

Can a person be cogent?

It is usually the argument, reason or explanation that is cogent. Saying a person is cogent is understood but reads as loose; cogently argued is the safer construction.

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.