Lewis & Short

cōgĭtātĭo, ōnis, f. [cogito, i. e. co-agito; cf. Varr. L. L. 6, § 43; Cic. Off. 1, 6, 19; Paul. ex Fest. p. 66, 7 Müll.].

  1. I. Abstr., a thinking, considering, deliberating; thought, reflection, meditation (in good prose, and very freq.).
      1. 1. Absol.: cogitatio in se ipsā vertitur, Cic. Off. 1, 44, 156: cogitatione aliquid complecti, Quint. 11, 2, 19: subitam et fortuitam orationem commentatio et cogitatio facile vincit, Cic. de Or. 1, 33, 150; cf. Quint. 10, 6, 1 sq.: speciem dei percipere cogitatione, non sensu, Cic. N. D. 1, 37, 105: cogitatione aliquid comprehendere, id. Tusc. 1, 22, 50; 4, 13, 29: cogitatio enim quamvis regionem potest amplecti, Auct. Her. 3, 19, 32: acerrima et attentissima, Cic. de Or. 3, 5, 17: tacita, Quint. 5, 7, 2; cf. id. 6, 1, 44: provisa et formata, id. 10, 7, 8: fortuita, id. 10, 3, 29: male cohaerentem, id. 10, 6, 6: simplices, magnas, Tac. G. 22.
      2. 2. With gen.: timoris praeteriti, Cic. Sest. 4, 11: cum officii, tum etiam periculi mei, id. Fam. 7, 3, 1; Curt. 7, 8, 4: suscepti muneris, Quint. 4, prooem. 7: cogitationem habere argenti, amoenitatum, etc., Cic. Par. 1, 2, 10: illius loci, id. Att. 1, 11, 3: rerum, id. Fam. 5, 13, 5: petendi consulatūs, Vell. 2, 17, 2.
      3. 3. With rel.: quaeris ut suscipiam cogitationem, quidnam istis agendum putem, Cic. Att. 14, 20, 4: mihi … occurrit cogitatio, qualis animus in corpore sit, etc., id. Tusc. 1, 22, 51: cujus sit filius, Brut. ap. Cic. Ep. ad Brut. 2, 3.
  2. II. Meton.
    1. A. Concr., a thought, opinion, judgment; a resolution, design. plan, project: omnes meas curas cogitationesque in rem publicam conferebam, Cic. Off. 2, 1, 2; cf. id. Lael. 9, 32; Liv. 35, 28, 7: mandare litteris cogitationes suas, Cic. Tusc. 1, 3, 6: versantur in animo meo multae et graves cogitationes, etc., id. Agr. 2, 2, 5; cf. Curt. 8, 3, 14: tacitae, Quint. 11, 2, 17; cf. id. 3, 8, 41: posteriores enim cogitationes (ut aiunt) sapientiores solent esse, Cic. Phil. 12, 2, 5 (transl. of Αἱ δεύτεραί πως φροντίδες σοφώτεραι): ista cogitatio de triumpho, id. Att. 7, 3, 2: redit autem illa cogitatio, quosdam fore qui, etc., Quint. 1, 7, 33: de his rebus rogo vos, ut cogitationem suscipiatis, Caes. ap. Cic. Att. 9, 7, C, 1; cf. Cic. Att. 14, 20, 4: cogitatione rerum novarum abstinere, Tac. H. 1, 7; cf. id. ib. 1, 23; 2, 74; id. A. 15, 54: vix a tam praecipiti cogitatione revocatus, Suet. Calig. 48.
    2. B. In Cic. several times, thought as an intellectual power, the ability of thinking, power or faculty of thought, the reasoning power (cf.: vim cogitationis habere, Cic. Tusc. 1, 27, 66): (homo) solus particeps rationis et cogitationis, id. Leg. 1, 7, 22; id. N. D. 3, 9, 21; 2, 7, 18; id. Verr. 2, 2, 54, § 134.