reason

1 of 2

noun

rea·​son ˈrē-zᵊn 

1

a

: a statement offered in explanation or justification

gave reasons that were quite satisfactory

b

: a rational ground or motive

a good reason to act soon

c

: the thing that makes some fact intelligible : cause

the reason for earthquakes

the real reason why he wanted me to stay

—Graham Greene

d

: a sufficient ground of explanation or of logical defense

especially : something (such as a principle or law) that supports a conclusion or explains a fact

the reasons behind her client's action

2

a(1)

: the power of comprehending, inferring, or thinking especially in orderly rational ways : intelligence

(2)

: proper exercise of the mind

(3)

: sanity

b

: the sum of the intellectual powers

3

archaic : treatment that affords satisfaction

reason

2 of 2

verb

reasoned; reasoning ˈrēz-niŋ 

ˈrē-zᵊn-iŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to use the faculty of reason so as to arrive at conclusions

2

a

: to talk with another so as to influence actions or opinions

can't reason with them

b

obsolete : to take part in conversation, discussion, or argument

transitive verb

1

: to discover, formulate, or conclude by the use of reason

a carefully reasoned analysis

2

: to persuade or influence by the use of reason

3

archaic : to justify or support with reasons

reasoner

ˈrēz-nər 

ˈrē-zᵊn-ər

noun

Phrases

in reason

: rightly, justifiably

within reason

: within reasonable limits

with reason

: with good cause

Synonyms

Noun

• account
• accounting
• argument
• case
• explanation
• rationale

Verb

• conclude
• decide
• deduce
• derive
• extrapolate
• gather
• infer
• judge
• make out
• understand

Choose the Right Synonym for reason

think, cogitate, reflect, reason, speculate, deliberate mean to use one's powers of conception, judgment, or inference.

think is general and may apply to any mental activity, but used alone often suggests attainment of clear ideas or conclusions.

teaches students how to think

cogitate implies deep or intent thinking.

cogitated on the mysteries of nature

reflect suggests unhurried consideration of something recalled to the mind.

reflecting on fifty years of married life

reason stresses consecutive logical thinking.

able to reason brilliantly in debate

speculate implies reasoning about things theoretical or problematic.

speculated on the fate of the lost explorers

deliberate suggests slow or careful reasoning before forming an opinion or reaching a conclusion or decision.

the jury deliberated for five hours

Examples of reason in a Sentence

Noun

I gave a reason for my absence.

Is there a reason for your strange behavior?

There is a reason why they don't want to come.

I can't give you the report for the simple reason that it isn't yet finished.

She explained her reasons for deciding to change jobs.

He wanted to know the reason for their decision.

Give me one good reason why I should believe you.

For obvious reasons, we can't do that yet.

For reasons of space, some of the charts and graphs have been omitted from the article.

She resigned for personal reasons.

Verb

He lost the ability to reason.

He reasoned that both statements couldn't be true.

She reasoned that something must be wrong.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Sharing an 833-mile border with Russia Happiness in Finland, for historical reasons, may be closely linked to ideas about resilience, researchers say. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024

How did this dire situation come to pass? CHARTED BY THE NUMBERS Last year, the University of Utah Drug Information Service asked manufacturers for the reasons behind the drug shortages. —Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2024

There are lots of reasons why people might trade the Baltic coast for the Mediterranean. —Christian Edwards, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024

In addition, a refund amount may differ if the IRS changes your return for other reasons, such as a math error. —The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2024

The primary reason for the project, according to those responsible for the planning, goes to safety. —Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 13 Apr. 2024

Seventeen people were detained, according to a police statement that did not give further details on the reasons. —Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024

Our projects received ample funding from defense and intelligence agencies for good reason. —Jungsang Kim, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024

On Easter, there was reason to wonder whether the rain would ever stop. —Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024

Verb

This theory centered a relatively sophisticated mind as the defining attribute of our species, and thus was consistent with ancient hierarchical taxonomies that placed man, with his ability to reason, apart from and above the beasts. —Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

Agents say Cook told them cartel members planned to move her to a furnished upscale home and use her place as a weapons stash house, reasoning that police wouldn't suspect an older white lady. —Beth Warren, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024

Some hospitals refuse to operate on babies with trisomy 18, reasoning that surgery will cause pain and suffering for the babies, who will have a poor quality of life and whose care will consume their parents’ lives. —Gina Kolata Kim Raff, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024

House reasoned the recent run-up in debt because of the pandemic is an example of how fiscal stimulus can lead to productivity—after all, Q2, Q3, and Q4 2023 all saw productivity increases of more than 3% compared with the prior quarter, according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024

The city’s subways were already safe, the Democrat reasoned, but a show of force might help dispel anxieties more than any statistic. —Philip Marcelo, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Mar. 2024

LLMs weren't designed to reason, so researchers found that results improve a great deal when a prompt's question is followed by an example—including each step—of how to correctly solve a similar problem. —David Berreby, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024

If developing a bomb was so hard for their own scientists, the Nazis appear to have reasoned, how could the degenerate Allies ever do it? —Claudia Roth Pierpont, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024

But a planned October trip was canceled by the mayor, who reasoned his time was better off spent dealing with the immediate needs in Chicago and instead sending a delegation of city officials in his place. —Michael Lee, Fox News, 7 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English resoun, from Anglo-French raisun, from Latin ration-, ratio "reckoning, calculation, explanation," from reri "to calculate, think;" probably akin to Goth rathjo "account, explanation"

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2b

Phrases Containing reason

• age of reason
• by reason of
• deaf to reason
• for no good reason
• for one reason or another
• for some reason or another
• for some reason or other
• for some strange reason
• for some/whatever reason
• for the simple reason that
• in reason
• it stands to reason
• lose one's reason
• open to reason
• reason out
• reason with
• rhyme or reason
• stand to reason
• voice of reason
• within reason
• without reason
• with reason

Kids Definition

reason

1 of 2 noun

rea·​son ˈrēz-ᵊn 

1

a

: a statement given to explain a belief or act

gave a reason for my absence

b

: a good basis

reasons for thinking life may exist on other planets

c

: the thing that makes some fact understandable : cause

wanted to know the reason for earthquakes

2

a

: the power to think : intelligence

b

: a sound mind

reason

2 of 2 verb

reasoned; reasoning ˈrēz-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to talk with another in order to cause a change of mind

reason with someone

2

a

: to use the power of reason

b

: to state or conclude by use of reason

reasoned that both statements couldn't be true

Legal Definition

reason

noun

rea·​son

1

: an underlying ground, justification, purpose, motive, or inducement

required to provide reasons for the termination in writing

2

a

: the faculty of comprehending, inferring, or distinguishing especially in a fair and orderly way

b

: the proper and sane exercise of the mind