reason
a rational motive for a belief or action
How often you will meet it
Rank 389 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 50,573 times across 155,168 chapters — 0.024% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 500 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
noun
- a rational motive for a belief or action also: ground the reason that war was declaredthe grounds for their declaration
- an explanation of the cause of some phenomenon the reason a steady state was never reached was that the back pressure built up too slowly
- the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination also: understanding, intellect we are told that man is endowed with reason and capable of distinguishing good from evil
- the state of having good sense and sound judgment also: rationality, reasonableness his rationality may have been impairedhe had to rely less on reason than on rousing their emotions
- a justification for something existing or happening also: cause, grounds he had no cause to complainthey had good reason to rejoice
- a fact that logically justifies some premise or conclusion there is reason to believe he is lying
verb
- decide by reasoning; draw or come to a conclusion also: reason out, conclude We reasoned that it was cheaper to rent than to buy a house
- present reasons and arguments also: argue
reason in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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She has reason to be fond of me.
Emily Fox-Seton · Frances Hodgson Burnett · Chapter 1
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He had reason to respect and fear his sire.
The Hill: A Romance of Friendship · Horace Annesley Vachell · Chapter 1
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Early this season He couldn't score, for no apparent reason.
Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 · Various · Chapter 1
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Connolly was a mutt--couldn't take him--but Jack Emmett--there wasn't any reason to be seen for that.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1
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For this reason a larger number of whipbearers were stationed here, in order to make way for travellers entering the city.
An Egyptian Princess — Volume 07 · Georg Ebers · Chapter 1