Cogent means clear and forceful enough to convince. A cogent argument, cogent reasons, cogent and well made.
It is praise for the argument rather than the arguer, and it means the case would persuade a fair reader. The Latin behind it means driving together, so a cogent argument compels rather than merely appeals.
1adjectivecogentClear and forceful enough to convince.
“She made a cogent case for changing the plan, and the whole board agreed.”
cogent is a quality.
The Latin is driving together. A cogent argument drives you along to the end of it, and there is nowhere else to get off.
hooks ontodrive
Latin cogens means compelling, from cogere, to drive together, from co- plus agere, to drive.
Proto-Indo-European
*h₂eǵ-
Latin
cōgēns
French
cogent
English, today
cogent
Built from
From French cogent, from Latin cōgēns, present active participle of cōgō (“drive together, compel”), from cō + agō (“drive”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA