Definition of reason - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
motivationcause or motive for an action
- The reason for his absence was a family emergency.
2.
rationalitythe ability to think and make judgments
- Reason separates humans from other animals.
3.
logic basisgrounds for a belief or action
- There is no reason to doubt her honesty.
4.
explanation causejustification for something existing or happening
- He had a good reason for his decision.
Verb
1.
logicintr. persuade someone using logical argumentsintr.
- He reasoned her into accepting the offer.
2.
solvetr. find a solution by logical processtr.
- They reasoned out the problem together.
3.
debateintr. arrange and present reasons for or against somethingintr.
- They reasoned the pros and cons of the plan.
4.
logictr. deduce or conclude by logical thinkingtr.
- She reasoned that he must be at home.
Expressions with reason
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
find an answer by thinking carefully and logically
She tried to reason out the solution to the puzzle.
try to persuade someone by talking calmly and logically
I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen.
within acceptable limits
We can make changes to the plan, within reason.
to an extreme or excessive degree
She was generous beyond reason with her time and money.
due to a legitimate or understandable reason
He left early, and for good reason.
stronger justification due to additional factors
The rain is all the more reason to stay inside.
used to say something happens for an unknown or unclear cause
She left early for one reason or another.
possess strong justification for a belief
We have every reason to believe she will succeed.
accept sensible advice or arguments
She refused to listen to reason and made a poor decision.
source of sensible and logical advice
His words were the voice of reason in the chaotic meeting.
having a valid justification
She was angry with good reason after being lied to.
makes sense based on known facts
It stands to reason that he is tired after working all day.
explain something to make it seem less important
He reasoned away the mistake as a minor oversight.
be a logical conclusion or outcome
It stands to reason that if you eat less, you'll lose weight.
is logical or makes sense
You missed practice all week; that stands to reason you're not starting.
complete lack of justification or explanation for something
There is no earthly reason for his sudden departure.
explain or justify something to make it seem less important
He tried to reason his mistake away by blaming others.
boundary of rationality
Her theories often teeter on the edge of reason.
complete lack of any possible explanation or justification
There is no reason under the sun for his anger.
without any logical explanation
She started crying for no good reason.
without any explanation or known cause
He started laughing for no reason.
expressing uncertainty about the cause of something happening
For some reason, the lights suddenly went out.
in a way that is hard to explain or understand
For some strange reason, the lights turned off by themselves.
because of the identical cause as something just mentioned
She left early, and I did for the same reason.
Origin of reason
Latin, ratio (reason) + -on (suffix)
Terms with reason included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
reason
for the reason that something happened
interrogative
for what reason or purpose
justify fault
provide a reason for a fault or mistake
justification
reason given to explain or justify an action
causation
indicating a cause or reason
reasoning
introduces a reason for an action or event
realization
said to show you now understand the reason for something
explanation cause
introduce reason for something just mentioned
communication
used to inquire about the reason for something
reasoning
reason or set of reasons given to support an idea
logic
indicating reason or cause
reasons
because of a reason or cause
cognition
the ability to think and reason
motivation
having a reason or incentive to act
arbitrary
selected for no particular reason
reasoning
indicating a reason or cause
unknown reason
for an unspecified reason
particular reason
for a particular reason, purpose, or instance
mental process
the process of using one's mind to consider or reason about something
fused relative
the reason for which
explanation
explain the reason or cause of something
cause or reason
because of someone or something good happening
causation
showing the outcome due to a specific reason
work
not working because of illness, holiday, or other reason
Examples of reason in a sentence
The reason behind their success is hard work. Reason guides our decision-making process. Without reason, chaos would prevail. The reason for the delay was unclear. She gave a valid reason for her absence. She couldn't find a reason to stay.
She reasoned with him until he agreed. They reasoned their way to a compromise. She reasoned her way through the complex puzzle. He reasoned that it was the best decision. She reasoned her stance during the heated debate. The lawyer reasoned against the new policy effectively. From the empty driveway, we reasoned that they had left. The jury reasoned from the evidence to a different conclusion.
View all translations of reason
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:raison, raisonner, ...
- German:Grund, überreden, ...
- Italian:ragione, persuadere, ...
- Spanish:razón, convencer, ...
- Portuguese:razão, persuadir, ...
- Chinese:原因, 说服, ...
- Japanese:理由, 説得する, ...
- Arabic:سَبَب, أَقرَعَ بِالحُجَج, ...
- Hebrew:סִבָּה, לְשַׁכְנֵעַ, ...
- Russian:причина, убеждать, ...
- Ukrainian:причина, переконувати, ...
- Hindi:कारण, समझाना, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the