cognition

Everyday

1. (science, formal) The mental processes of knowing, thinking, learning, remembering and understanding. tree →
2. The ability to think and understand. tree →

In the lessons

In science and psychology it names everything your brain does to think — paying attention, remembering, solving problems, using language. Doctors may test the cognition of older people, and scientists study animal cognition in crows and chimps. It tells the reader we are talking about thinking. Adjective: «cognitive».

Examples

• Sleep is important for good cognition. tree →
• Scientists study the cognition of clever animals like crows. tree →
• Puzzles and reading exercise your cognition. tree →
• Animal cognition experiments show dolphins recognise themselves in mirrors. tree →
• The doctor checked Grandma's cognition with memory questions. tree →
• Cognition includes attention, memory and reasoning. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Say «kog-NISH-un». Adjective: cognitive (cognitive skills). Related to «recognise» — both come from the Latin for «to know».