# cognate

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈkɒɡn(e)ɪt/ · frequency rank #45,851

## Definitions
1. Allied by blood; kindred by birth; specifically (law) related on the mother's side.
2. Of the same or a similar nature; of the same family; proceeding from the same stock or root.
3. Descended from the same source lexemes (same etymons) of an ancestor language.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin cognātus (“related by blood”), from co- + gnātus (“born”). Compare Portuguese cognato and Spanish cognado. Doublet of connate and cognatus.

## Easily confused with
- **conte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cognate-vs-conte)
- **coinage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cognate-vs-coinage)
- **Colgate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cognate-vs-colgate)
- **cognac** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cognac-vs-cognate)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ccognate`, `cgonate`, `cogante`, `coggnate`, `cognaet`, `cognatte`, `cognnate`, `cogntae`, `congate`, `ocgnate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cognate