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   Rea·son

   /ˈrēz(ə)n/

   

   noun

   • 1. a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event: "the minister resigned for personal reasons" Similar causegroundsgroundbasisrationalemotivemotivationpurposepointaimintentionobjectivegoaloccasionimpetusinducementincentiveexplanationjustificationcaseargumentdefenseapologyvindicationexcusepretextrationalizationwarrantthe whys and whereforesapologia
   • ▪ good or obvious cause to do something: "we have reason to celebrate"
   • ▪ a premise of an argument in support of a belief, especially a minor premise when given after the conclusion.
   • 2. the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a process of logic: "there is a close connection between reason and emotion" Similar rationalitylogiclogical thoughtscientific thinkingreasoningthoughtcognitionthe mindintellectintelligenceintellectualitynousrare:ratiocinationOpposite emotionfeeling
   • ▪ what is right, practical, or possible; common sense: "people are willing, within reason, to pay for schooling" Similar good sensegood judgmentcommon sensesensejudgmentunderstandingwisdomsagacityreasonablenessmoderationproprietypracticalitypracticabilityadvisability
   • ▪ one's sanity: "she is in danger of losing her reason" Similar sanitymindmental facultiesmental healthsoundness of mindsenseswitsinformal:marbles

   verb

   • 1. think, understand, and form judgments by a process of logic: "humans do not reason entirely from facts" Similar think rationallythink logicallythink straightuse one's minduse one's common senseuse one's headuse one's brainthink things throughcogitateintellectualizeinformal:put on one's thinking caprare:cerebrateratiocinatelogicizecalculatecome to the conclusionconcludereckonthinkconsiderbe of the opinionbe of the viewjudgededuceinfersurmiseinformal:figure
   • ▪ find an answer to a problem by considering various possible solutions: "she was growing too sleepy to reason it out" Similar work outfind an answer/solution tothink throughcome to a conclusion aboutsort outmake sense ofget to the bottom ofpuzzle outsolveinformal:figure out
   • ▪ persuade (someone) with rational argument: "I tried to reason with her, but without success" Similar talk aroundbring aroundpersuadecoaxprevail onconvinceshow someone the error of their waysmake someone see the light

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French reisun (noun), raisoner (verb), from a variant of Latin ratio(n-), from the verb reri ‘consider’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. reasoner noun
   • 2. reasonless adjective

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • R

     1

   • E

     1

   • A

     1

   • S

     1

   • O

     1

   • N

     1

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