cogent

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>cogent</strong> &#149; \KOH-junt\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adjective</em><br /> <p><em>Cogent</em> is a formal word that describes something that is very clear and easy for the mind to accept and believe, in other words “convincing.” </p> <p>// At the town meeting, citizens presented many <em>cogent</em> arguments in support of building a new senior center.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cogent">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>“Though <em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kraftwerk">Kraftwerk</a>: Future Music from Germany</em> is not a go-to resource or final word on the subject, it doesn’t really aim to be. Rather, it’s a <em>cogent</em> and crisp reevaluation of one of the most important pop groups of the century, an <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erudite">erudite</a> closeup on the group’s aims, history, and substantial cultural impact.” — James Toth, <em>AquariumDrunkard.com</em>, 6 Mar. 2023</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>A cogent argument is one that really drives its point home because it is clear, coherent, and readily understandable, and perhaps also because of the etymological history of <em>cogent</em>. <em>Cogent</em> comes from the Latin verb <em>cogere</em>, meaning “to drive or force together.” Something described as cogent fuses thoughts and ideas into a meaningful whole that others can readily grasp and accept. A cogent explanation is a convincing one, and cogent analysis has us nodding along because it is clear and pertinent. <em>Cogere</em> was formed in Latin by combining the prefix <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/co-#h5">co-</a></em> with the verb <em>agere</em>, “to drive, lead, or act,” a root which is also the source of our familiar n