Cognition is the mental process of knowing, thinking, and understanding. When you learn something new, remember what you studied yesterday, solve a math problem, or figure out why your friend seems upset, you're using cognition. It's the umbrella term for all the ways your brain takes in information, processes it, and uses it.

Scientists who study cognition examine how people think, learn, remember, pay attention, make decisions, and solve problems. They've discovered that cognition involves many different mental skills working together. When you read this sentence, your cognition includes recognizing the letters, understanding the words, remembering what the earlier words meant, and connecting the ideas.

The adjective form is cognitive. Teachers design cognitive challenges to make students think harder. Doctors might test someone's cognitive abilities by asking them to remember lists or solve puzzles.

Cognition separates instinctive reactions from thoughtful ones. When you jerk your hand away from something hot, that's instinct. But when you think about whether to touch something that might be hot, that's cognition at work. Your cognitive skills grow stronger with practice and challenge, like muscles getting stronger with exercise.