cognizance

/ˈkɒɡnɪzəns/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːɡnɪzəns/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkäg-nə-zən(t)s/ (ame, mw)

cognizance — noun

1. the state of being aware of or having knowledge about a fact, situation, or acti

1.名詞C2
釋義

the state of being aware of or having knowledge about a fact, situation, or activity.

例句

The villagers had no cognizance of the storm warning until the river started rising.

cognizance of + noun phrase

Soraya joined the meeting without any cognizance of the budget cuts discussed earlier.

without cognizance of

同義詞
  • awareness

    everyday equivalent; far more common in spoken English

  • knowledge

    broader; includes facts learned, not just noticed

  • consciousness

    emphasises the mental state of noticing; less about official knowing

反義詞

文法句型

cognizance of [something]

have cognizance of

用法筆記

Frequently used in legal, official, or academic writing; replace with 'awareness' or 'knowledge' in everyday English.

常見錯誤

❌I have cognizance about the problem.
✅I have cognizance of the problem.
💡cognizance is followed by 'of', not 'about'.

2. the act of formally noticing or considering a matter, especially by a court, off

2.名詞C2
釋義

the act of formally noticing or considering a matter, especially by a court, official body, or person in authority when judging it.

例句

The judge took cognizance of the new evidence before sentencing the defendant.

take cognizance of (legal use)

The school board must take cognizance of the parents' complaints at the next meeting.

take cognizance of + grievance

同義詞
  • notice

    as in 'take notice of'; less formal and less weighty

  • consideration

    broader; covers any careful thought, not only by authorities

  • acknowledgment

    stresses public recognition rather than the act of weighing

反義詞
  • disregard

    deliberate refusal to consider something

  • neglect

    failure to give due attention

文法句型

take cognizance of [something]

用法筆記

Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'take cognizance of'; distinguish from sense 1 by the active step of formally weighing something, not merely knowing about it.

常見錯誤

❌The court got cognizance of the case.
✅The court took cognizance of the case.
💡the verb is 'take', not 'get' or 'have'.