Cognizee

/ˌkɒɡnaɪˈziː/ noun

Definition

A person who is recognized, acknowledged, or made aware of something, especially in legal contexts.

Etymology

From 'cognize' plus the suffix '-ee' (one who receives an action), following the pattern of English legal terminology like 'payee' or 'lessee'. Created to mirror the active 'cognizer' with a passive counterpart.

Kelly Says

This is a wonderfully logical but rarely-used word—it's the grammatical opposite of 'cognizer,' but most people just say 'the person who was recognized' instead. English lawyers created these paired terms to be perfectly symmetrical, but only 'cognizer' really caught on!

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