reason

reason is on the Basic English 850 List.

ready - reason - receipt

reason is one of the 1000 most common headwords.

really - reason - receive

Pronunciation

• IPA ^(key): /ˈriːzn/
• SAMPA: /"ri:zn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: rea‧son

Noun

Singular reason

Plural reasons

1. (countable & uncountable) A reason to do something is why you do it, or the cause of something.

   The low price was the main reason for buying it.

   I asked them about the reason why we should go.

   The police are looking for the reason for the accident.

2. (uncountable) Reason is the ability to think clearly.

   It's important to use reason to decide, not emotion.

Synonyms

• sense
• explanation
• cause
• sense

Verb

Plain form reason

Third-person singular reasons

Past tense reasoned

Past participle reasoned

Present participle reasoning

1. If you reason, you think carefully about something.
2. (transitive) (uncommon) If you reason someone, you persuade using reasoning.

   I reasoned my friend into my religion.

Related words

• reasonable
• unreasonable
• reasonableness
• unreasonableness
• reasonably
• unreasonably
• reasoning