Legal Definitions - cognatus

COGNATUS

Cognatus is a Latin term used in Roman law to refer to a person who is related to another person through a common ancestor. It can be used as a noun or an adjective. Cognatus is also known as cognate. It is the opposite of agnatus, which refers to a person related by male descent.

• My cousin is my cognatus because we share a common ancestor.
• According to Roman law, a cognatus had certain rights and obligations towards their relatives.
• When a person died without leaving a will, their property would be inherited by their cognati.

These examples illustrate how cognatus is used to describe a person who is related to another person through a common ancestor. It is important to note that cognatus can refer to both male and female relatives, unlike agnatus which only refers to male relatives.