Cogitate

verb

To consider or reflect (on something) with intensity
To conceive of or develop something (in the mind)

Usage

Do you ever like to just stop and think? In our fast paced world, we hardly ever have the time to sit down and cogitate on the questions of life. Our society seems to value action, with manifest results, rather than the pursuits of the mind. However, if we never take time to cogitate, to figure out who we are and where we are going, how will we ever know what that first step is? We don't just need "doers" in this word of ours; we also need the cogitators, i.e. the "thinkers," who create the ideas behind our actions!

The verb cogitate refers to the action of deep thinking or contemplation. When you defer a decision to cogitate, it means that you are waiting to act until you have thought long and hard about all of your options. To cogitate means much more than to quickly think or deduce something; what sets it apart from our daily brainwork is the deep effort put into the turning over of our minds. You might think of a professor who cogitates right before class in order to focus his mind on the upcoming task. Sometimes, you don't even need a subject in mind before you begin to cogitate. Those of us who are more in tune with our spiritual side can simply cogitate, or mediate, while we listen to the inspiring sounds of the outdoors, as long as they don't break our concentration!

Cogitate is also used more specifically to signify the act of thinking about something or formulating a plan. While you could close your eyes to cogitate, allowing whatever comes into your mind to become the item of focus, you can also more pointedly cogitate a strategy to close up that pressing business deal. Many times, you can differentiate this usage of the word if you can see a noun placed right after cogitate in a sentence. Case in point: A writer may cogitate an outline as a way to organize her story ideas. In this and other examples, something is "receiving" the action; the outline, in this case, is the thing that is being thought about or created. You can cogitate a recipe, or a sales' pitch; in fact, whenever you need to come up with something clever or make something better, you can surely cogitate whatever that happens to be. After reading this entry, you'll find that it's always a good idea to cogitate your sentences before you write them so you can be sure to use cogitate correctly!

Example: The monk sets aside time each day to cogitate and rejuvenate his mind.

Example: An army general needs to cogitate a line of attack before sending out his men.

Origin

The modern English word cogitate didn't fall very far from its etymological tree. Its origin can be traced back to the Latin verb cogitare, meaning "to think" or "to reason." And if you thought you could see the word "agitate" (or "agitare") in this root verb, you aren't the only one! With a little imagination, one can see how cogitating can be an effectual arousing or kindling of the mind. Cogitate has been used since the late 16th century; that's a long time we've been engaging in mental workouts!

Derivative Words

Cogitated: This verb is the past tense form of cogitate. It is used when the action of pondering has already taken place.

Example: The scientist cogitated over the ingredients of his formula.

Cogitating: This verb is the present progressive form of cogiate. It is used when someone is meditating or reflecting (on something) currently.

Example: We are in the process of cogitating before we come to an agreement.

Cogitatingly: This adverb is used to describe something that is done with careful or intense thought.

Example: My sister cogitatingly cleans her room, organizing her clothes by color and style.

Cogitator: This noun designates one who cogitates, or thinks deeply.

Example: Bernard has shown himself to be quite the cogitator; he spends hours thinking about who knows what!

Cogitation: This noun refers to the action of cogitating; meditation or consideration.

Example: The newest advertisement became the focus of her cogitation.

Precogitate: This verb means to think about something ahead of time, or in advance.

Example: The student attempted to precogitate exactly what he would say in his speech.

Excogitate: This verb can often be used interchangeably with cogitate; however, excogitate tends to signify coming to a resolution or decision about something while thinking deeply or as a result of it.

Example: Many philosophers excogitate on the meaning of life, but they disagree on what it should be.

In Literature

From Tiffanie DeBartolo's How to Kill a Rock Star:

Forget the noose. Forget the Iron Maiden. Forget the electric chair or the guillotine. The mind was mankind's most painful torture chamber, the blessed liberty to cogitate offering either doom or salvation, depending on one's disposition.

After finding out that her idol and possible soul mate, Paul, has started dating one of his fans, Eliza vows she will never waste any more of her precious thoughts on the fickle rock star. However, this promise is much harder to keep when she realizes that she cannot help but obsess, or cogitate, over him, which slowly eats away at her own happiness.

From Ian McEwan's Atonement:

For that fortuitous girl the sweet day dawned
To wed her gorgeous prince. But be warned,
Because Arabella almost learned too late,
That before we love, we must cogitate!

This passage in the play The Trials of Arabella, staged within the novel Atonement, warns of ill-conceived love. It exhorts to think hard, i.e. to cogitate, before swiping right. Perhaps a stanza DeBartolo's heroine should have read.

Mnemonic

Cogitation: Cognitive Agitation
First cogitate, then calculate the answer!
Appreciate the world around you: Sit and cogitate awhile!

Comments

The famous statement, Cogito ergo sum (I think; therefore, I am), by philosopher René Descartes, makes use of the first person singular form of the Latin cogitare (see Origin). Descartes must have seen firsthand how the ability to cogitate gave us humans the wherewithal to ponder our own existence!