Definitions for reason
ˈri zənrea·son

Princeton's WordNet(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. reason, ground(noun)

   a rational motive for a belief or action

   "the reason that war was declared"; "the grounds for their declaration"

2. reason(noun)

   an explanation of the cause of some phenomenon

   "the reason a steady state was never reached was that the back pressure built up too slowly"

3. reason, understanding, intellect(noun)

   the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination

   "we are told that man is endowed with reason and capable of distinguishing good from evil"

4. rationality, reason, reasonableness(noun)

   the state of having good sense and sound judgment

   "his rationality may have been impaired"; "he had to rely less on reason than on rousing their emotions"

5. cause, reason, grounds(noun)

   a justification for something existing or happening

   "he had no cause to complain"; "they had good reason to rejoice"

6. reason(verb)

   a fact that logically justifies some premise or conclusion

   "there is reason to believe he is lying"

7. reason, reason out, conclude(verb)

   decide by reasoning; draw or come to a conclusion

   "We reasoned that it was cheaper to rent than to buy a house"

8. argue, reason(verb)

   present reasons and arguments

9. reason(verb)

   think logically

   "The children must learn to reason"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. reason(Noun)

   a cause:

2. reason(Noun)

   rational thinking (or the capacity for it; the cognitive faculties, collectively, of conception, judgment, deduction and intuition;

   Mankind should develop reason above all other virtues.

3. reason(Noun)

   something reasonable, in accordance with thought; justice.

4. reason(Noun)

   due exercise of the reasoning faculty

5. reason(Noun)

   ratio; proportion.

6. reason(Verb)

   To exercise the rational faculty; to deduce inferences from premises; to perform the process of deduction or of induction; to ratiocinate; to reach conclusions by a systematic comparison of facts.

7. reason(Verb)

   Hence: To carry on a process of deduction or of induction, in order to convince or to confute; to formulate and set forth propositions and the inferences from them; to argue.

8. reason(Verb)

   To converse; to compare opinions.

9. reason(Verb)

   To arrange and present the reasons for or against; to examine or discuss by arguments; to debate or discuss.

   I reasoned the matter with my friend.

10. reason(Verb)

    To support with reasons, as a request.

11. reason(Verb)

    To persuade by reasoning or argument.

    to reason one into a belief; to reason one out of his plan

12. reason(Verb)

    To overcome or conquer by adducing reasons.

    to reason down a passion

13. reason(Verb)

    To find by logical process; to explain or justify by reason or argument.

    to reason out the causes of the librations of the moon

Origin: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Reason(noun)

   a thought or a consideration offered in support of a determination or an opinion; a just ground for a conclusion or an action; that which is offered or accepted as an explanation; the efficient cause of an occurrence or a phenomenon; a motive for an action or a determination; proof, more or less decisive, for an opinion or a conclusion; principle; efficient cause; final cause; ground of argument

2. Reason(noun)

   the faculty or capacity of the human mind by which it is distinguished from the intelligence of the inferior animals; the higher as distinguished from the lower cognitive faculties, sense, imagination, and memory, and in contrast to the feelings and desires. Reason comprises conception, judgment, reasoning, and the intuitional faculty. Specifically, it is the intuitional faculty, or the faculty of first truths, as distinguished from the understanding, which is called the discursive or ratiocinative faculty

3. Reason(noun)

   due exercise of the reasoning faculty; accordance with, or that which is accordant with and ratified by, the mind rightly exercised; right intellectual judgment; clear and fair deductions from true principles; that which is dictated or supported by the common sense of mankind; right conduct; right; propriety; justice

4. Reason(noun)

   ratio; proportion

5. Reason(noun)

   to exercise the rational faculty; to deduce inferences from premises; to perform the process of deduction or of induction; to ratiocinate; to reach conclusions by a systematic comparison of facts

6. Reason(noun)

   hence: To carry on a process of deduction or of induction, in order to convince or to confute; to formulate and set forth propositions and the inferences from them; to argue

7. Reason(noun)

   to converse; to compare opinions

8. Reason(verb)

   to arrange and present the reasons for or against; to examine or discuss by arguments; to debate or discuss; as, I reasoned the matter with my friend

9. Reason(verb)

   to support with reasons, as a request

10. Reason(verb)

    to persuade by reasoning or argument; as, to reason one into a belief; to reason one out of his plan

11. Reason(verb)

    to overcome or conquer by adducing reasons; -- with down; as, to reason down a passion

12. Reason(verb)

    to find by logical processes; to explain or justify by reason or argument; -- usually with out; as, to reason out the causes of the librations of the moon

Origin: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Reason

   Reason is the capacity for consciously making sense of things, applying logic, for establishing and verifying facts, and changing or justifying practices, institutions, and beliefs based on new or existing information. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, language, mathematics, and art, and is normally considered to be a definitive characteristic of human nature. The concept of reason is sometimes referred to as rationality and sometimes as discursive reason, in opposition to intuitive reason. Reason or "reasoning" is associated with thinking, cognition, and intellect. Reason, like habit or intuition, is one of the ways by which thinking comes from one idea to a related idea. For example, it is the means by which rational beings understand themselves to think about cause and effect, truth and falsehood, and what is good or bad. In contrast to reason as an abstract noun, a reason is a consideration which explains or justifies some event, phenomenon or behaviour. The ways in which human beings reason through argument are the subject of inquiries in the field of logic. Reason is closely identified with the ability to self-consciously change beliefs, attitudes, traditions, and institutions, and therefore with the capacity for freedom and self-determination.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Reason

   rē′zn, n. an idea which supports or justifies an act or belief: a motive: proof: excuse: cause: an explanation: the faculty of the mind by which man draws conclusions, and determines right and truth: the exercise of reason: just view of things: right conduct: propriety: justice: that which is conformable to reason: (logic) a premise placed after its conclusion.—v.i. to exercise the faculty of reason: to deduce inferences from premises: to argue: to debate: (B.) to converse.—v.t. to examine or discuss: to debate: to persuade by reasoning.—adj. Rea′sonable, endowed with reason: rational: acting according to reason: agreeable to reason: just: not excessive: moderate.—n. Rea′sonableness.—adv. Rea′sonably.—ns. Rea′soner; Rea′soning, act of reasoning: that which is offered in argument: course of argument.—adj. Rea′sonless.—n. Rea′son-piece, a wall plate.—By reason of, on account of: in consequence of; Principle of sufficient reason, the proposition that nothing happens without a sufficient reason why it should be as it is and not otherwise; Pure reason, reason absolutely independent of experience. [Fr. raison—L. ratio, rationis—rēri, ratus, to think.]

The Nuttall Encyclopedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Reason

   in philosophy is more than mere understanding or reasoning power; it is the constitutive and regulative soul of the universe assumed to live and breathe in the inner life or soul of man, as that develops itself in the creations of human genius working in accord with and revealing the deep purpose of the Maker.

2. Reason

   in German Vernunft, defined by Dr. Stirling "the faculty that unites and brings together, as against the understanding," in German Verstand, "the faculty that separates, and only in separation knows," and that is synthetic of the whole, whereof the latter is merely analytic of the parts, sundered from the whole, and without idea of the whole, the former being the faculty which construes the diversity of the universe into a unity or the one, whereas the latter dissolves the unity into diversity or the many.

The Roycroft Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. reason

   The arithmetic of the emotions.

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. reason

   Song lyrics by reason -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by reason on the Lyrics.com website.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'reason' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #548

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'reason' in Written Corpus Frequency: #493

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'reason' in Nouns Frequency: #88

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of reason in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of reason in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of reason in a Sentence

1. Carol Clarke:

   Music is the Reason

2. John Milton:

   Reason also is choice.

3. Patrick Shattuck:

   I dont have any reason to.

4. Jason Seaman:

   You are the reason I teach.

5. Aristotle:

   Law is mind without reason.

Images & Illustrations of reason

Popularity rank by frequency of use