as in rational
having the ability to reason
judged by the courts not to be a reasoning being who could be held accountable for his crimes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in logic
the thought processes that have been established as leading to valid solutions to problems
your reasoning here is faulty, for although all wives are spouses, not all spouses are wives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in understanding
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information
she reasoned that since all of the cakes were on sale for the same price, she might as well pick the biggest one
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in arguing
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration
he tried to reason that no one in their right mind would buy his brother's old video games, but they were put on the online auction anyway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reasoning
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 19 June 2025
The court wrote in the majority opinion that the reasoning from the Bostock case does not back up their view.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
There was some merit in Daigneault’s reasoning to bring Hartenstein off the bench and start reserve guard Cason Wallace, but the former’s vision and sense of timing are underrated within the Thunder’s scheme.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 17 June 2025
When a science study is submitted to a credible journal, the study will undergo a peer review, a process in which experts in the field probe the work for poor reasoning, bad research practices and data errors, among other issues.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Noun
But the reasoning behind a decision can matter just as much as the end result.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 19 June 2025
The court wrote in the majority opinion that the reasoning from the Bostock case does not back up their view.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
There was some merit in Daigneault’s reasoning to bring Hartenstein off the bench and start reserve guard Cason Wallace, but the former’s vision and sense of timing are underrated within the Thunder’s scheme.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 17 June 2025
When a science study is submitted to a credible journal, the study will undergo a peer review, a process in which experts in the field probe the work for poor reasoning, bad research practices and data errors, among other issues.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reasoning
Adjective
-
President Donald Trump’s court challenge failed during his first term because his administration did not provide the U.S. Supreme Court with a rational government basis for terminating the program.—
Darren Soto,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 June 2025
-
Confined to her bed, Isla is given to violent fits and delusional behavior, slipping in and out of rational consciousness.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Judge Harris’s ruling extended this logic to tower dumps.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
He’s approach embeds this logic directly in the materials themselves.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 June 2025
Verb
-
However, some Democrats, including Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton, suggested the backlash was overblown, arguing that public opinion is shifting in favor of restrictions on transgender athletes.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
-
The president justified his decision by arguing that all three of the nations were not doing enough to curb the influx of drugs, specifically fentanyl, coming into the United States.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Lucy’s colleagues refer to men like him—tall, handsome, in finance, intelligent, urbane—as unicorns.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
21 June 2025
-
Celebrate intelligent risk-taking, not just polished outcomes.—
Bill Fischer,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
The two vehicles collided in a head-on collision for an unknown reason, state police said.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
19 June 2025
-
There is no reason to believe that an enemy wouldn’t take a page out of the Israeli playbook and go after leadership.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
The path is similar this time around, and Tampa Bay is coming off a resounding 40-17 victory over the playoff-contending Los Angeles Chargers.—
Associated Pess,
Orlando Sentinel,
22 Dec. 2024
-
Against this backdrop, the remainder of López's contract could be appealing to a contending team.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Nibert loved the free-thinking spirit of the village and its college.—
Keith BieryGolick,
Cincinnati.com,
28 Aug. 2019
-
Credit Gus Malzahn for being proactive and thinking long-term in choosing his starting quarterback.—
Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com,
al,
22 Aug. 2019
Verb
-
With so many cruise lines and many more ships, deciding which cruise to book for your family’s next vacation can feel daunting.—
Stacey Lastoe,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2025
-
There are several considerations when deciding where to live and retire.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reasoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reasoning. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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