cognizance
/ˈkɒɡ.nɪ.zəns/ · cog-NI-zuhns
Roman Urdu: aagaahi
ENGLISH MEANING
Knowledge or awareness of something.
Cognizance is the state of having knowledge about a fact, situation, or piece of information. It is used in formal or legal contexts to stress that someone is fully aware of something. The word implies an active, precise understanding rather than vague knowledge.
اردو معنی
cognizance کا مطلب ہے کسی چیز کا علم یا آگاہی۔ عام طور پر یہ قانونی یا سرکاری زبان میں استعمال ہوتا ہے جب کسی کے پاس کسی معاملے کی مکمل سمجھ ہو۔ یہ صرف عام فہم نہیں بلکہ واضح اور درست اطلاعات پر مبنی شعور کی طرف اشارہ کرتا ہے۔
WORD ORIGIN & BREAKDOWN
From Latin *cognoscere* ‘to know’, through Old French *cognizance* meaning ‘knowledge, awareness’.
cogn-
know, learn
-ance
state or quality of
SAY IT OUT LOUD - 5 TIMES
cog-NI-zuhns
DAILY LIFE EXAMPLES
The committee took cognizance of the complaints filed by the residents.
کمیٹی نے رہائشیوں کی شکایات کی آگاہی اختیار کی۔
She has full cognizance of the risks involved in the project.
اسے منصوبے کے خطرات کی مکمل آگاہی ہے۔
The judge assumed cognizance of the new evidence presented.
جج نے پیش کردہ نئے شواہد کی آگاہی تسلیم کی۔
Before making a decision, you should have cognizance of all the facts.
فیصلہ کرنے سے پہلے آپ کو تمام حقائق کی آگاہی ہونی چاہیے۔
✅ SYNONYMS (مترادف)
awareness
آگاہی
knowledge
علم
understanding
فہم
❌ ANTONYMS (متضاد)
ignorance
جهالت
unawareness
غیر آگاہی
USE IT WHEN (کب استعمال کریں)
- Writing formal reports or legal documents
- Talking about someone’s awareness of a situation
- Describing official acknowledgment of an issue
AVOID WHEN (کب نہ کریں)
- Casual conversation – prefer simpler words like ‘awareness’
- When a verb is needed – use ‘recognize’ or ‘notice’ instead
RELATED WORDS - SAME FAMILY
COMMON MISTAKE PAKISTANIS MAKE
WRONG
The manager cognizanced the problem quickly.
CORRECT
The manager took cognizance of the problem quickly.
‘Cognizance’ is a noun, not a verb; the correct phrase is ‘take cognizance of’.
💡 MEMORY TIP (یاد رکھنے کا آسان طریقہ)
Think of a ‘cog’ in a machine that senses (sense) everything – it ‘cog‑niz‑ance’ gives you knowledge.
ایک ‘cog’ (گیئر) کو تصور کریں جو ہر چیز کو محسوس کرتا ہے – اسی طرح ‘cognizance’ علم کی حس دیتا ہے۔
QUICK QUIZ — TEST YOURSELF
What does ‘cognizance’ most closely mean?
TODAY'S CHALLENGE
Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) describing a time when you took cognizance of an important issue at school or work.
Posted on July 01, 2026 · Word Meaning in Urdu