| Cognizance 1. (n.) Apprehension by the understanding; perception; observation. 2. (n.) Recollection; recognition. 3. (n.) Jurisdiction, or the power given by law to hear and decide controversies. 4. (n.) The hearing a matter judicially. 5. (n.) An acknowledgment of a fine of lands and tenements or confession of a thing done. 6. (n.) A form of defense by which the defendant insists that the goods were lawfully taken, as a distress, by defendant, acting as servant for another. 7. (n.) The distinguishing mark worn by an armed knight, usually upon the helmet, and by his retainers and followers: Hence, in general, a badge worn by a retainer or dependent, to indicate the person or party to which he belonged; a token by which a thing may be known. Thesaurus Entries acknowledgment, apperception, appreciation, appreciativeness, attention, awareness, benediction, cognition, consciousness, credit, crediting, due, grace, heed, hymn, insight, knowledge, mark, mind, mindfulness, noesis, note, notice, observance, observation, paean, perception, praise, prayer of thanks, realization, recognition, regard, remark, right, sensibility, thank offering, thank-you, thanks, thanksgiving, what is owing |