cogitationem

Cogitationem is the accusative singular of cogitatio, a Latin noun meaning the act or result of thinking—thought, contemplation, or deliberation. Cogitatio is feminine and belongs to the third declension; singular forms are cogitatio, cogitationis, cogitationi, cogitationem, cogitatione.

Origin: from cogitare (to think) via the suffix -tio that forms abstract nouns; cogitatio denotes mental activity, a process of reflection, rather than a physical object. English cognate: cogitation.

Usage: In classical Latin, cogitationem functions as the direct object of verbs of thinking, considering, or planning; it expresses inner deliberation or the content of one's thoughts. It appears in moral, philosophical, rhetorical, or legal contexts, where mental processes, motives, or plans are described or debated.

Declension and forms: singular — nominative cogitatio, genitive cogitationis, dative cogitationi, accusative cogitationem, ablative cogitatione; plural — nominative cogitationes, genitive cogitationum, dative cogitationibus, accusative cogitationes, ablative cogitationibus. The word exemplifies the typical pattern of Latin -io nouns of the third declension with -em in the accusative.

Modern relevance: The English word cogitation (from the same root) reflects a related concept but is now archaic or literary in ordinary use. In Latin scholarship, cogitatio and its form cogitationem remain standard for discussing thinking, deliberation, and related mental activities.