logical

adjective

ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce logical (audio)
Definition of logicalnext
1
as in rational
according to the rules of logic the lawyer won the case with a logical argument about the motives of the suspect

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reasonable
based on sound reasoning or information that's the logical choice under the circumstances

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of logical But capturing a liftoff live from the moon was the next logical step to chronicle NASA's lunar exploration in real-time. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Process and poetry One early decision Placek made was to move away from corporate positioning and toward linguistics, much to the chagrin of some of his more logical clients. — HubSpot, 31 July 2026 More importantly, the researchers found that the effective logical error rate was 10 times lower than the physical error rate. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 July 2026 This was a major sticking point, and not in the most logical way. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for logical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for logical
  1. rational
  2. reasonable
  3. coherent
  4. reasoned
  5. valid
  6. sensible
  7. good
Adjective
  • Gorbachev, still consolidating power, was taking a risk by bucking anti-American hawks back in Moscow and standing with Reagan to join him in officially ruling out nuclear war as a rational instrument of policy.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Three functions, each making the rational local decision, and together producing an outcome that would not have been chosen for the enterprise as a whole.
    — Carsten Polenz, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of rational
Adjective
  • What starts as a reasonable desire to prevent disease can escalate into constant testing and rigid routines built around an ever-growing roster of supplements and experimental remedies.
    — John Vorwald, Robb Report, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The argument about competition against girl athletes is a reasonable one, though apparently very limited in number of events and any advantages.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasonable
Adjective
  • This is the phase where the volume of data outpaced the organizational capacity to do anything coherent with it.
    — Sid Banerjee, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Spain’s superpower was a coherent tactical system that no other national team — or their respective talismans — could find an answer to.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of coherent
Adjective
  • None are credible challengers; Matt Conroy is the more reasoned and moderate of the three.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
  • This is a time for cool, calm and reasoned debate, and for legislators to think through the consequences of legislation put forth.
    — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 15 Jan. 2026
Definition of reasoned
Adjective
  • The draft ordinance would require landlords to provide a valid reason before evicting a tenant or declining to renew their lease.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Patterson said summertime learning loss is a valid worry, but his proposal doesn’t call for a longer summer or fewer hours in the classroom.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of valid
Adjective
  • The conversation in Springfield about sensible housing reforms shouldn’t end, but given there’s no time to lose, complementary ideas can help bridge the gap between now and whenever Illinois gets its act together.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Governments and school districts also have a role to play by adopting sensible policies and regulations.
    — Larry Magid, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of sensible
Adjective
  • For the mostly Hispanic agriculture and food processing workers, the data center boom hasn’t been all good.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Villa’s recent warm-up defeat to Bayern Munich, though a 2-1 loss, will have offered a useful gauge of what facing elite opposition demands and should stand them in good stead for the level of intensity this game in Salzburg will require.
    — Dean Jones, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of good

Browse Nearby Words

logic
logical
logicality
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Logical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/logical. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on logical

Nglish: Translation of logical for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All