(pronounced COG-nih-zent)

This is a fancier way to say that you are aware, alert and knowledgeable of something, especially because of your own personal experience. (We think any word with the letter Z in is it preferable to other words. We’re weird that way.)

Example: Valerie was highly cognizant of the fact that layoffs were on the way, and her project management team was sure to be let go first as their biggest client – a nationally known retail bank chain – just declared bankruptcy.