cognizance

English

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cognizance

/ˈkɒɡnɪzəns/ UK
/ˈkɑɡnɪzəns/ Atlantic Canada, US
/ˈkɔɡnɪzəns/ Australia
/ˈkɒnɪzəns/ UK

Where it comes from

From Middle English conysaunce, from Old French conysance (“recognition," later, "knowledge”), from Old French conoissance (“acquaintance, recognition; knowledge, wisdom”), from conoistre (“to know”), from Latin cognōscō (“know”), from con- (“with”) + gnōscō (“know”). By surface analysis, cogniz(e) (a back-formation) + -ance.

noun cognizances · cognisance · cognizaunce

countable, uncountable An emblem, badge or device, used as a distinguishing mark by the body of retainers of a royal or noble house.
countable, uncountable Notice or awareness. Poor Lady Rotheles was really so imprudent on the late occasion of her niece's elopement as to go into a passion, and to utter such a tirade against her, her lord was roused from his habitual, but not natural listlessness, and became, in consequence, master of sentiments and secrets hitherto most co
countable, uncountable Jurisdiction.

Translations

Every language

noun emblem of noble house

Русский	эмбле́ма embléma

noun awareness

Ελληνικά	γνώση gnósi, αντίληψη antílipsi
Русский	осведомлённость osvedomljónnostʹ

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MLA

"cognizance." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/cognizance. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

cognizance. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/cognizance

Chicago

"cognizance." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/cognizance.

BibTeX

@misc{cognizance_2026,
  title = {cognizance},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/cognizance},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}