1. A written confession or acknowledgment of a debt or liability, made by a defendant to a creditor, often used in legal proceedings to expedite judgment.
Usage: legal/formal; chiefly historical or in specific jurisdictions

Examples

• The defendant signed a cognovit, admitting the debt without contesting the claim.
• A cognovit note allowed the creditor to obtain a judgment quickly without a full trial.
• The contract included a cognovit clause that waived the defendant's right to defend against the claim.
• In some states, a cognovit is no longer enforceable due to consumer protection laws.
• The attorney filed the cognovit as evidence of the debtor's admission of liability.