reasoning

1 of 2

noun

rea·​son·​ing ˈrēz-niŋ 

ˈrē-zᵊn-iŋ

1

: the use of reason

especially : the drawing of inferences or conclusions through the use of reason

2

: an instance of the use of reason : argument

reasoning

2 of 2

present participle of reason entry 2

Synonyms of reasoning

Noun

• logic
• reason

Examples of reasoning in a Sentence

Noun

Could you explain your reasoning?

They told everyone the reasoning behind the decision.

a conclusion based on fallacious reasoning

Humans possess the power of reasoning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Osteopathic philosophy serves as the integrative lens through which these domains influence clinical reasoning. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026

The State Bar did not disclose why the charges were dropped, and its reasoning for doing so remains under seal. — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Neither commented on the reasoning behind Earle’s departure, but the influencer hinted at conflict happening behind the scenes. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026

Obscuring part of a model’s chain-of-thought reasoning can also make the model harder to distill—a method where a smaller model is trained on the outputs of a larger model. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reasoning

• line of reasoning

Rhymes for reasoning

• seasoning

Kids Definition

reasoning

noun

rea·​son·​ing

1

: the use of reason

2

: the reasons used in and the proofs that result from thought : argument