reasonable

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adjective rea·son·able \ ˈrēz-nə-bəl , ˈrē-zᵊn-ə-bəl \

Definition of reasonable

1 a :being in accordance with reason

a reasonable theory

b :not extreme or excessive

reasonable requests

c :moderate, fair

a reasonable chance

a reasonable price

d :inexpensive

2 a :having the faculty of reason

b :possessing sound judgment

a reasonable man

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reasonability

play \ˌrēz-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē, ˌrē-zᵊn-ə-\ noun

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reasonableness

play \ˈrēz-nə-bəl-nəs, ˈrē-zᵊn-ə-\ noun

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reasonably

play \-blē\ adverb

See reasonable defined for English-language learners

See reasonable defined for kids

Examples of reasonable in a Sentence

We have reasonable cause not to believe him.
She offered a reasonable compromise.
It's not reasonable to expect perfect weather.
Please be more reasonable. There is no way I'll be able to finish all this work in so little time.
A reasonable man would not expect such a thing.
Our boss has reasonable expectations of his employees.
The team has a reasonable chance of winning.
He makes a reasonable amount of money.
The store's prices are reasonable.
The hotel offers excellent accommodations at reasonable rates.

Recent Examples of reasonable from the Web

So for Trump, as for many Americans, what about what Clinton did is a perfectly fair and reasonable response to criticism.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "Why is whataboutism having a moment?," 29 Aug. 2017
The developer has made a reasonable accommodation by including the facade in the new design.

— Naperville Sun, "Readers Respond," 25 Aug. 2017
This gives any reasonable person enough evidence to believe that not much will change over the next four years.

— albert breer, SI.com, "Ezekiel Elliott Appeal Pits Familiar Enemies Again: NFL vs. NFLPA," 17 Aug. 2017
That is a reasonable SRI investing approach, and one that is followed by a number of major investors in the world.

— robert strand, Fortune, "How CEOs Decided Trump Is a Bad Investment," 16 Aug. 2017
Lady Gaga has always been prepared to testify so long as reasonable limitations were established.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Lady Gaga Will Reportedly Testify in Dr. Luke's Kesha Lawsuit," 16 Aug. 2017
In a rational world, Congress would respond to such a reasonable demand by abolishing the debt limit outright, and on a bipartisan basis, but the strange conventions of legislative politics make that outcome extremely unlikely.

— brian beutler, New Republic, "Democrats, Don’t Raise the Debt Limit," 7 Aug. 2017
Convention center features, such as adequate seating, reasonable rental rates, helpful staff and sufficient nearby hotel rooms, are priorities among a large majority of meeting planners.

— lori weisberg, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego among top 5 choices for conventions," 4 Aug. 2017
Hall's defense attorneys argued that the state couldn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hall was the one who sold Kumm the lethal dose of heroin.

— amanda marrazzo, McHenry County, "Pregnant Woodstock woman convicted of drug-induced homicide from heroin overdose," 20 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reasonable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of reasonable

14th century

reasonable Synonyms

REASONABLE Defined for English Language Learners

reasonable

play

adjective

Definition of reasonable for English Language Learners

: fair and sensible
: fairly or moderately good
: not too expensive

REASONABLE Defined for Kids

reasonable

play

adjective rea·son·able \ ˈrēz-nə-bəl , ˈrē-zᵊn-ə-bəl \

Definition of reasonable for Students

1 :fair and sensible

I'm willing to compromise, but her demands are not reasonable.

2 :not too expensive Let's find a hotel with reasonable rates.

3 :fairly or moderately good Our team has a reasonable chance of winning.

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reasonableness

noun

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reasonably

\-blē\ adverb

Law Dictionary

reasonable

adjective rea·son·able

legal Definition of reasonable

1 a :being in accordance with reason, fairness, duty, or prudence

b :of an appropriate degree or kind

c :supported or justified by fact or circumstance

a reasonable belief that force was necessary for self-defense

d :commercially reasonable

2 :applying reason or logic; broadly :rational 1

a reasonable mind

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reasonableness

noun

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reasonably

adverb

Learn More about reasonable

See words that rhyme with reasonable Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for reasonable Spanish Central: Translation of reasonable Nglish: Translation of reasonable for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of reasonable for Arabic speakers

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REASONABLE Defined for English Language Learners

reasonable

Definition of reasonable for English Language Learners

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reasonable

Definition of reasonable for Students

reasonableness

reasonably

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reasonable

legal Definition of reasonable

reasonableness

reasonably

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