as in rational
having the ability to reason
judged by the courts not to be a reasoning being who could be held accountable for his crimes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in logic
the thought processes that have been established as leading to valid solutions to problems
your reasoning here is faulty, for although all wives are spouses, not all spouses are wives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in understanding
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information
she reasoned that since all of the cakes were on sale for the same price, she might as well pick the biggest one
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in arguing
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration
he tried to reason that no one in their right mind would buy his brother's old video games, but they were put on the online auction anyway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of reasoning
Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
Her decision is persuasive authority, meaning its reasoning can be followed although is not required to be followed.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 31 Dec. 2024
The reasoning behind recommended screening age caps for other cancers, such as cervical or breast, is similar, but the specific guidelines differ, Zikmund-Fisher pointed out.
—Cathy Nelson, Health, 30 Dec. 2024
In this book, Carter explains how every person, regardless of age, can support world peace efforts, and draws his reasoning from his experience navigating American politics.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reasoning 
Noun
Americans might understand a father pardoning a son, but Republicans slammed the move, and Biden's reasoning even upset many Democrats.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
Her decision is persuasive authority, meaning its reasoning can be followed although is not required to be followed.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 31 Dec. 2024
The reasoning behind recommended screening age caps for other cancers, such as cervical or breast, is similar, but the specific guidelines differ, Zikmund-Fisher pointed out.
—Cathy Nelson, Health, 30 Dec. 2024
In this book, Carter explains how every person, regardless of age, can support world peace efforts, and draws his reasoning from his experience navigating American politics.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reasoning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reasoning
Adjective
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The problem is that these anxieties are taking the place of rational conversation.James Chappel / Made by History, TIME, 3 Jan. 2025
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When asked about his limited practice reps in Oxnard, Calif. and his zero touches in the preseason, head coach Mike McCarthy said that the team was saving the 29-year-old for the beginning of the season – a rational thought process for a player that had his fair share of mileage.Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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By this logic, laws about bodily damage would differ substantially between cultures.Daniel Sznycer, The Conversation, 10 Jan. 2025
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Driving Innovation And Creativity Innovation thrives at the intersection of logic and imagination.Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Adnan often finds himself at the center of the theatrics — from arguing with Brian about ego to suggesting Veah is an untrustworthy partner after Sunny accused her of cheating.Abigail Adams, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
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In late 2022, Festa led an effort with other towers and the towing association to get the DMV to increase towing rates, arguing at a DMV hearing that expenses on everything from truck insurance to workers’ compensation had gone up.Dave Altimari, ProPublica, 5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Ultimately, this might not be that intelligent and certainly would not surpass our own human fallacies in that regard but rather aggravate them—becoming, therefore, the antithesis of being beneficial to humanity.Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
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Advanced features, such as intelligent sensing systems and dual-speed settings, further enhance precision and adaptability across various tasks.Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In addition to outgoing President Biden and first lady Jill, all are expected to attend except for Michelle Obama, who is skipping the event for unknown reasons.Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 14 Jan. 2025
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The Dodgers have long been seen as a top contender for Sasaki, a hard-throwing starter who had a career 2.10 ERA in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, for myriad reasons.Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Against this backdrop, the remainder of López's contract could be appealing to a contending team.Newsweek, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
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The path is similar this time around, and Tampa Bay is coming off a resounding 40-17 victory over the playoff-contending Los Angeles Chargers.Associated Pess, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Nibert loved the free-thinking spirit of the village and its college.Keith BieryGolick, Cincinnati.com, 28 Aug. 2019
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Credit Gus Malzahn for being proactive and thinking long-term in choosing his starting quarterback.Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com, al, 22 Aug. 2019
Verb
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This summer is likely to be a key point in deciding his future — the two-year mark is usually when clubs either renew a contract or move on a player to maximise possible earnings.Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
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This could be as simple as burning a letter or keeping a small personal memento of the relationship and then deciding to release it.Mark Travers, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near reasoning
Cite this Entry
“Reasoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reasoning. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
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