Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2023 is: cogent \KOH-junt\ adjective

Cogent is a formal word that describes something that is very clear and easy for the mind to accept and believe, in other words “convincing.”

// At the town meeting, citizens presented many cogent arguments in support of building a new senior center.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cogent)

Examples:

“Though [Kraftwerk](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kraftwerk): Future Music from Germany is not a go-to resource or final word on the subject, it doesn’t really aim to be. Rather, it’s a cogent and crisp reevaluation of one of the most important pop groups of the century, an [erudite](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erudite) closeup on the group’s aims, history, and substantial cultural impact.” — James Toth, AquariumDrunkard.com, 6 Mar. 2023

Did you know?

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 cogent. Cogent comes from the Latin verb cogere, 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. Cogere was formed in Latin by combining the prefix [co-](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/co-#h5) with the verb agere, “to drive, lead, or act,” a root which is also the source of our familiar noun [agent](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agent). Handily enough, one definition of agent is “a means or instrument by which a guiding intelligence achieves a result.” It follows logically then that [cogency](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cogency) is often a worthwhile agent, indeed.