Synonyms for reason
- noun
- verb
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Motive — A cause, A motive for an action or a determination
motive, rationale, consideration, argument, principle, sake US, saki UK, account, exposition, score
2. Mind
mind, sense, intellect, understanding, soul, intelligence, brains, wit
3. Occasion — A cause, An excuse, a thought or a consideration offered in support of a determination or an opinion; that…
Other
purpose, good sense, common sense, aim, rationality, ground, logic, proof, reasonableness, end, token, wall plate
Verb
Other
ratiocinate formal rare, syllogize rare, syllogise UK
Definitions
- n. 1
A cause: A motive for an action or a determination.
He made reason with his boss about taking a day off.
- n. 2
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.
- n. 3
A cause: That which causes something: an efficient cause, a proximate cause.
The reason this tree fell is that it had rotted.
- v. 1
To deduce or come to a conclusion by being rational.
Related words
- Word family
- reasonless reasonous reasonability reasonable reasonableness reasonably reasoner
- Phrases
- reason out by reason of age of reason in reason thirteenth reason thirteenth reason why with good reason within reason
Choose the right word
Thought, the act, process, or power of thinking, is often used to denote the thinking faculty, and especially the reason.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- argument No one could get the better of him in an argument.
- consideration You should have taken all that into consideration.
- motive Now we are better able to understand their motive.
- rationale He had a sound rationale for his suggestion.
- sense Who, that has common sense, would do such a thing?
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| reason | steady | |
| argument | steady | |
| consideration | falling | |
| motive | steady | |
| rationale | steady | |
| sense | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- end1, aim1, wit1
- 4 letters
- mind1, talk1, soul1, sake1, saki2
- 5 letters
- think1, cause1, sense1, score1, proof1, argue2, logic2, token2
- 6 letters
- ground1, excuse2, debate2, brains1, motive2
- 7 letters
- account2, purpose2, discuss2, grounds1, dispute2, wrangle2
- 8 letters
- argument3, occasion3, conclude2
- 9 letters
- principle3, discourse2, rationale3, intellect3, syllogize, syllogise
- 10 letters
- exposition4, controvert
- 11 letters
- rationality5, ratiocinate
- 12 letters
- intelligence4
- 13 letters
- understanding4, consideration5
- 14 letters
- reasonableness5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (saki2 = 2 syllables).