# reason

/ˈɹizən/ (US) · /ɹˈiːzən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/reason
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a cause or explanation

noun · CEFR A2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 2. logic and sanity

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to think logically

verb · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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'.

### 4. to persuade someone

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

For teachers: 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'.

## Examples

- The main reason for the delay was the heavy rain.
- She gave her boss a good reason for being late to the morning meeting.
- Philosophers often distinguish between the cause of a physical event and the reason for a human action, suggesting that the latter implies a level of conscious intent.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.