What does reason mean?
Definitions for reason
ˈri zənrea·son
Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word reason.
Princeton's WordNet
reason, ground(noun)
a rational motive for a belief or action
"the reason that war was declared"; "the grounds for their declaration"
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"
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"
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"
cause, reason, grounds(noun)
a justification for something existing or happening
"he had no cause to complain"; "they had good reason to rejoice"
reason(verb)
a fact that logically justifies some premise or conclusion
"there is reason to believe he is lying"
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"
argue, reason(verb)
present reasons and arguments
reason(verb)
think logically
"The children must learn to reason"
Wiktionary
reason(Noun)
a cause:
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
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.
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
reason(Noun)
something reasonable, in accordance with thought; justice.
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
reason(Noun)
due exercise of the reasoning faculty
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
reason(Noun)
ratio; proportion.
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
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.
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
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.
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
reason(Verb)
To converse; to compare opinions.
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
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.
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
reason(Verb)
To support with reasons, as a request.
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
reason(Verb)
To persuade by reasoning or argument.
to reason one into a belief; to reason one out of his plan
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
reason(Verb)
To overcome or conquer by adducing reasons.
to reason down a passion
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
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
Etymology: From raisun ( raison), from rationem, an accusative of ratio, from ratus, past participle of reor.
Webster Dictionary
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
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
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
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
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
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
Reason(noun)
ratio; proportion
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
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
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
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
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
Reason(noun)
to converse; to compare opinions
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
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
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
Reason(verb)
to support with reasons, as a request
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
Reason(verb)
to persuade by reasoning or argument; as, to reason one into a belief; to reason one out of his plan
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
Reason(verb)
to overcome or conquer by adducing reasons; -- with down; as, to reason down a passion
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
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
Etymology: [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.]
Freebase
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
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
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.
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
reason
The arithmetic of the emotions.
Editors Contribution
reason
A rational and logical explanation.
The reason for the change was simple when we all know what we agreed.
Submitted by MaryC on April 6, 2020reason
The human quality of sane, intelligent, logical thought, feeling, knowing, understanding, expression, mind, soul, subconscious, conscience, consciousness and spirit.
He has just reason and is so intelligent and informed.
Submitted by MaryC on February 12, 2020
Suggested Resources
reason
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British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'reason' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #548
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'reason' in Written Corpus Frequency: #493
Nouns Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'reason' in Nouns Frequency: #88
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of reason in Chaldean Numerology is: 5
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of reason in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9
Examples of reason in a Sentence
I think there is no Triple Crown on the line for us, and there is no reason to run a horse back in two weeks when you don't have to.
For this reason, Airbus Defence and Space has decided to remove the Border Security business from the joint package and to retain it within Airbus Defence and Space, this means that the sales process for Defence Electronics shall continue as planned and can be finalised shortly.
She obviously comes back to win and the wait has been long, so she will probably start Roland Garros with a mix of stress because she will want to do well and excitement because playing those events is the reason why she made such huge efforts to come back.
My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.
The reason why great men meet with so little pity or attachment in adversity, would seem to be this: the friends of a great man were made by his fortune, his enemies by himself, and revenge is a much more punctual paymaster than gratitude.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for reason
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- عقلArabic
- аҡылBashkir
- raó, raonarCatalan, Valencian
- rozumCzech
- slutte, fornuft, ræsonnere, overvejeDanish
- Vernunft, Grund, Intellekt, VerstandGerman
- λόγος, λογικήGreek
- raciecoEsperanto
- razónSpanish
- عقلPersian
- syy, järkeillä, järki, kohtuus, pohtia, tekosyyFinnish
- raisonFrench
- fáth, réasún, ábharIrish
- razónGalician
- סיבהHebrew
- कारणHindi
- értelem, okHungarian
- argomentare, ragionare, ragione, causa, perché, motivoItalian
- 思慮, 理由Japanese
- ಕಾರಣKannada
- 이성Korean
- ratioLatin
- cēlonis, saprātsLatvian
- redeneren, redeDutch
- diskutere, fornuftig, overveie, fornuft, resonnereNorwegian
- rasonOccitan
- rozum, rozumować, przekonywaćPolish
- razão, motivo, causa, argumentarPortuguese
- rațiuneRomanian
- рассуждать, продумать, моти́в, по́вод, причи́на, ра́зум, резо́нRussian
- rȁzūmSerbo-Croatian
- arësyetoj, arsyeAlbanian
- förstånd, anledning, skälSwedish
- sebepTurkish
- 原因Chinese
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"reason." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. Web. 6 Mar. 2021. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/reason>.