reason

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A cause:
2. (countable, uncountable) A cause:
3. (countable, uncountable) A cause:
4. (countable, uncountable) A cause:
5. (uncountable) Rational thinking (or the capacity for it); the cognitive faculties, collectively, of conception, judgment, deduction and intuition.
6. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Something reasonable, in accordance with thought; justice.
7. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Ratio; proportion.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To deduce or come to a conclusion by being rational.
2. (intransitive) To perform a process of deduction or of induction, in order to convince or to confute; to argue.
3. (intransitive, obsolete) To converse; to compare opinions.
4. (ambitransitive) To arrange and present the reasons for or against; to examine or discuss by arguments; to debate or discuss.
5. (rare, transitive) To support with reasons, as a request.
6. (transitive) To persuade by reasoning or argument.
7. (transitive, with-down) To overcome or conquer by adducing reasons.
8. (transitive, usually) To find by logical process; to explain or justify by reason or argument.

Synonyms

cause

motive

sense

intellect

ground

basis

mind

argue

occasion

think

🤔

argument

meaning

logic

excuse

origin

purpose

account

rationality

grounds

justification

pretext

intelligence

understanding

consider

reflect

source

why

principle

explanation

infer

brain

🧠

reasoning

point

circumstance

matter

ponder

judge

🧑‍⚖️

deduce

circumstances

rationale

word

truth

way

significance

conclude

deem

reasonableness

foundation

prudence

proof

Translations

raison

Grund

ragione

razón

cause

Vernunft

Ursache

causa

razão

motif

causa

motivo

Verstand

ragionare

Anlass

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɹiːzən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: resoun

In summary

From Middle English resoun, reson, from Anglo-Norman raisun (Old French raison), from Latin ratiō, from ratus, past participle of reor (“reckon”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂reh₁- (“to think”), reanalysed root of *h₂er- (“to put together”). Displaced native Middle English reden (found in compounds), from Old English rǣden (“condition, stipulation, calculation, direction”), from the same Proto-Indo-European source (compare West Frisian reden (“reason”), Dutch reden (“reason”)). Doublet of ration and ratio.

Sentences

As he looked at the stones , he felt relieved for some reason .

That's the reason why I came in fourth .

There isn't even a single reason for me to go to the lake today .

This is the main reason why pesto recipes often differ from each other .

The contruction of a new theme park is immediately halted for an unknown reason .