What does "reason" mean?

1. (a cause or explanation) the cause of an event or the explanation for why someone does something. 2. (logic and sanity) the power of the mind to think, understand, and form opinions logically. 3. (to think logically) to think about something in a logical way to find an answer or make a decision. 4. (to persuade someone) to talk to someone to try and change their mind using logic.

How do you use "reason"?

Often used as an intransitive verb followed by 'that' or 'from'. Typically used with the preposition 'with'.

reason — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "The reason of the delay was the rain."?

No — say "The reason for the delay was the rain.". Use the preposition 'for' after 'reason' when introducing the cause of something.

Word

01a cause or explanation

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. the cause of an event or the explanation for why someone does something.

n. a cause, explanation, or justification for an action, event, or belief.

“The main reason for the meeting was to discuss the new budget.”

“The primary reason for the sudden policy shift remained unclear, despite several attempts by the press to elicit a formal explanation from the spokesperson.”

Pitfall

The reason of the delay was the rain.

The reason for the delay was the rain.

Use the preposition 'for' after 'reason' when introducing the cause of something.

Synonyms

cause explanation motive

02logic and sanity

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Science Academic

n. the power of the mind to think, understand, and form opinions logically.

n. the intellectual faculty that allows for rational thought, judgment, and the drawing of logical conclusions.

“We need to use reason rather than emotion to solve this problem.”

“The philosopher argued that human reason is the only reliable tool for navigating complex ethical dilemmas in a secular society.”

Synonyms

logic rationality sanity

Antonyms

madnessunreason

03to think logically

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to think about something in a logical way to find an answer or make a decision.

v. to use the power of the mind to think and form judgments, typically through a process of deduction or induction.

“She reasoned that if the lights were on, someone must be home.”

“The investigators reasoned from the available forensic evidence that the fire must have started in the basement due to faulty wiring.”

Usage

Often used as an intransitive verb followed by 'that' or 'from'.

Synonyms

think deduce conclude

04to persuade someone

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to talk to someone to try and change their mind using logic.

v. to persuade or influence someone by using logical argument or evidence.

“I tried to reason with him, but he refused to listen to my advice.”

“The diplomat attempted to reason with the rebel leaders, hoping to secure a ceasefire before the humanitarian crisis worsened.”

Usage

Typically used with the preposition 'with'.

Synonyms

persuade convince

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “reason” in context.

01. economic reason 02. ethical reason 03. following reason 04. important reason 05. methodological reason 06. practical reason 07. primary reason 08. principal reason 09. technical reason 10. theoretical reason 11. various reason

reason vs cause

A reason is the motive or justification for a human action, while a cause is the physical force that produces a specific result.

RememberReason = Rationale. Cause = Catalyst.

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”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN

reason(A1)

reasoning(C1)