cogent, a.
(ˈkəʊdʒənt)
[a. F. cogent (14th c. in Littré), ad. L. cōgent-em, pr. pple. of cōgĕre to drive together, compel, constrain, f. co- together + agĕre to drive.]
1. Constraining, impelling; powerful, forcible.
| 1718 Hickes J. Kettlewell i. §17. 41 He was wont to do it in such an Obliging (and yet cogent) Way as..to give no Offence. 1761 Hume Hist. Eng. II. xxix. 161 To these views of interest were added the motives, no less cogent, of passion and resentment. 1863 Kinglake Crimea (1877) II. i. 7 The French Emperor..determined to insist in cogent terms. 1866 Ferrier Grk. Philos. I. ix. 199 Society's commands must be obeyed only in the second instance, because society is less real, less cogent than Nature. |
b. esp. Having power to compel assent or belief; argumentatively forcible, convincing.
| 1659 Pearson Creed (1839) 135 Though the witness of John were thus cogent, yet the testimony of miracles was far more irrefragable. 1667 Boyle Orig. Formes & Qual., To imploy such Arguments as I thought the clearest, and cogentest. 1690 Locke Human Und. i. iv, Undeniable cogent demonstrations. 1763 Johnson in Boswell an. 1781 (1847) 690/1 Sir, I have two very cogent reasons for not printing any list of subscribers. 1876 J. H. Newman Hist. Sk. I. iv. ii. 382 The testimony of a number is more cogent than the testimony of two or three. |
c. with dependent phr.
| 1669 Gale Crt. Gentiles i. i. ii. 15 Conjectures, such as seem cogent to persuade us. 1836 Prichard Phys. Hist. Mankind (ed. 3) I. 374 Not so cogent of conviction as a positive argument would be. |
† 2. Of persons: Employing force or compulsion, peremptory. Obs. rare.
| 1672 Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 89 All men are prone to be cogent and supercilious when they are in office. |