cognisant

6 synonyms and 3 antonyms for cognisant, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adjective — Aware of something, or having knowledge of it, especially something that ought to be taken into account.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

aware

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

conscious mindful

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

apprised alive to cognizant

Antonyms

unaware oblivious ignorant

How to use cognisant

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

fully cognisant cognisant of the risks cognisant of the fact that be made cognisant

Formal and slightly bureaucratic. Common in law, corporate reports and official statements; it can sound stiff in everyday speech.

Etymology

From Old French conoissant, the present participle of conoistre, from Latin cognoscere 'to get to know', formed from co- 'together' and gnoscere 'to know'. The spelling with a g was restored later on the Latin model.

Full origin of cognisant →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between cognisant and cognizant?

There is no difference in meaning — they are the same word. Cognisant is the British spelling and cognizant is the American one, though the z spelling is also common in British writing and is the older form.

Is cognisant the same as aware?

They mean much the same thing, but cognisant is markedly more formal and is typical of legal, official and business writing. If you can say aware without sounding out of place, aware is usually the better choice.

How do you use cognisant in a sentence?

It is normally followed by of or by a that-clause: 'cognisant of the danger' or 'cognisant that funds were low'. It is rarely used before a noun, so you would not say 'a cognisant manager'.

People also searched

aware conscious ignorant unaware mindful oblivious cognizant apprised

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of cognisant