cogency.

The clear, relevant and compelling force of reasons or an argument.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• cogency of an argument
• evidential cogency

On the page

The argument’s cogency came from linking each claim to a relevant and independently checked premise.

Evidential cogency weakened when the crucial comparison turned out to be inappropriate.

Usage notes

Primary category: analysis / argumentation / evidence. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: evidence assessment, qualification, argument critique, assumption analysis. Disciplines: argumentation, logic, research interpretation, formal writing. Commonness: uncommon.