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Reason
Definitions
- 1 A surname.
- 1 A cause:; That which causes something: an efficient cause, a proximate cause. countable, uncountable
"The reason this tree fell is that it had rotted."
- 2 A wall plate.
- 3 the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination wordnet
- 4 A cause:; A motive for an action or a determination. countable, uncountable
"He made reason with his boss about taking a day off."
- 5 a fact that logically justifies some premise or conclusion wordnet
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- 6 A cause:; An excuse: a thought or a consideration offered in support of a determination or an opinion; that which is offered or accepted as an explanation. countable, uncountable
"I have forgotten the reason he gave for not travelling by air. I felt sure that it was not the correct reason, and that he suffered from a heart trouble which he kept to himself."
- 7 an explanation of the cause of some phenomenon wordnet
- 8 A cause:; A premise placed after its conclusion. countable, uncountable
- 9 a justification for something existing or happening wordnet
- 10 Rational thinking (or the capacity for it); the cognitive faculties, collectively, of conception, judgment, deduction and intuition. uncountable
"Mankind should develop reason above all other virtues."
- 11 a rational motive for a belief or action wordnet
- 12 Something reasonable, in accordance with thought; justice. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"16th century Edmund Spenser, Lines on his Promised Pension I was promised, on a time, To have reason for my rhyme."
- 13 the state of having good sense and sound judgment wordnet
- 14 Ratio; proportion. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"[I]f two Quantities repreſented by the Numbers 20 and 4 be compared, by dividing the Antecedent 20 by the Conſequent 4, the Quotient is 5; but inverting the Terms, by dividing 4 by 20 the Quotient is #92;tfrac#123;4#125;#123;20#125;#61;#92;tfrac#123;1#125;#123;5#125;. By which Quotients are declared the Geometrical Reaſons of the propoſed Quantities, becauſe if the Quotient found be multiplied by the Conſequent, the Product is equal to the Antecedent; for in the former Compariſon 5#92;times4#61;20, in the latter #92;tfrac#123;1#125;#123;5#125;#92;times20#61;4; as Things again are referred to Equality."
- 1 To deduce or come to a conclusion by being rational. intransitive
""I had," said he, "come to an entirely erroneous conclusion which shows, my dear Watson, how dangerous it always is to reason from insufficient data. […]""
- 2 think logically wordnet
- 3 To perform a process of deduction or of induction, in order to convince or to confute; to argue. intransitive
"Still my spirit was not broken. I indulged the anticipation of escape, and that speedily. It was impossible, I reasoned, that men could be so unjust as to detain me as a slave, when the truth of my case was known."
- 4 decide by reasoning; draw or come to a conclusion wordnet
- 5 To converse; to compare opinions. intransitive, obsolete
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- 6 present reasons and arguments wordnet
- 7 To arrange and present the reasons for or against; to examine or discuss by arguments; to debate or discuss. ambitransitive
"I reasoned the matter with my friend."
- 8 To support with reasons, as a request. rare, transitive
- 9 To persuade by reasoning or argument. transitive
"to reason one into a belief; to reason one out of his plan"
- 10 To overcome or conquer by adducing reasons. transitive, with-down
"to reason down a passion"
- 11 To find by logical process; to explain or justify by reason or argument. transitive, usually
"to reason out the causes of the librations of the moon"
Etymology
From Middle English resoun, reson, from Anglo-Norman raisun (Old French raison), from Latin ratiō, from ratus, past participle of reor (“reckon”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂reh₁- (“to think”), reanalysed root of *h₂er- (“to put together”). Displaced native Middle English reden (found in compounds), from Old English rǣden (“condition, stipulation, calculation, direction”), from the same Proto-Indo-European source (compare West Frisian reden (“reason”), Dutch reden (“reason”)). Doublet of ration and ratio.
From Middle English resoun, reson, from Anglo-Norman raisun (Old French raison), from Latin ratiō, from ratus, past participle of reor (“reckon”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂reh₁- (“to think”), reanalysed root of *h₂er- (“to put together”). Displaced native Middle English reden (found in compounds), from Old English rǣden (“condition, stipulation, calculation, direction”), from the same Proto-Indo-European source (compare West Frisian reden (“reason”), Dutch reden (“reason”)). Doublet of ration and ratio.
From Middle English reason, reson, resen, rasen, from Old English ræsn (“beam, rafter, ceiling, wall panel”), probably from Proto-West Germanic *raʀn (“house”), from Proto-Germanic *razną (“house, dwelling”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁erh₁- (“to rest”).
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