reason · Contextualize

Etymology

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.

derived from *h₂reh₁-✻
derived from ratiō
derived from raison
derived from raisun
inherited from resoun

Definitions

1
A cause
A cause:
- The reason this tree fell is that it had rotted.
- There is a reason why so many should be symmetrical: The selective advantage in a symmetrical complex is enjoyed by all the subunits[…]
2
Rational thinking (or the capacity for it)
Rational thinking (or the capacity for it); the cognitive faculties, collectively, of conception, judgment, deduction and intuition.
- Mankind should develop reason above all other virtues.
- The tremendous tragedy in which he had been involved - it was evident he was a fugitive from Weybridge - had driven him to the very verge of his reason.
- And the specific distinction between man and beast is now, strictly speaking, no longer reason (the lumen naturale of the human animal) but science[…]
3
Something reasonable, in accordance with thought
Something reasonable, in accordance with thought; justice.
- 16th century Edmund Spenser, Lines on his Promised Pension I was promised, on a time, To have reason for my rhyme.
›+ 11 more definitionsshow fewer
1. Ratio
  Ratio; proportion.
2. 5
  To deduce or come to a conclusion by being rational.
  - "I had," said he, "come to an entirely erroneous conclusion which shows, my dear Watson, how dangerous it always is to reason from insufficient data. […]"
3. 6
  To perform a process of deduction or of induction, in order to convince or to confute
  To perform a process of deduction or of induction, in order to convince or to confute; to argue.
  - Still my spirit was not broken. I indulged the anticipation of escape, and that speedily. It was impossible, I reasoned, that men could be so unjust as to detain me as a slave, when the truth of my case was known.
4. To converse
  To converse; to compare opinions.
5. 8
  To arrange and present the reasons for or against
  To arrange and present the reasons for or against; to examine or discuss by arguments; to debate or discuss.
  - I reasoned the matter with my friend.
  - The talk was mainly between Aleck and Murdie, the others crowding eagerly about and putting in a word as they could. Murdie was reasoning good-humoredly, Aleck replying fiercely.
6. To support with reasons, as a request.
7. 10
  To persuade by reasoning or argument.
  - to reason one into a belief; to reason one out of his plan
8. 11
  To overcome or conquer by adducing reasons.
  - to reason down a passion
9. 12
  To find by logical process
  To find by logical process; to explain or justify by reason or argument.
  - to reason out the causes of the librations of the moon
10. A wall plate.
11. A surname.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for reason. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

Etymology

Definitions

The neighborhood

Derived

Vish — recursive loop