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reasoning

noun

Simple meaning

The deduction of inferences or interpretations from premises, abstract thought, ratiocination.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

reezuhning

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈɹizənɪŋ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. uncountable

    The deduction of inferences or interpretations from premises, abstract thought, ratiocination; (countable) any instance of this, especially as a process leading to an action, motive.

  2. countable

    A Rastafari meeting held for the purposes of chanting, prayer and discussion.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
General and technical use

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: The deduction of inferences or interpretations from premises, abstract thought, ratiocination; (countable) any instance of this, especially as a process leading to an action, motive.

Used this way, reasoning is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Matter-of-fact
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use reasoning

  • “Her logical reasoning helped solve the complex puzzle quickly.”

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

inductive reasoningdeductive reasoningpractical reasoningmoral reasoninglogical reasoninglegal reasoningabstract reasoningreasoning process

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • reasonnounBase word

    A rational motive for a belief or action.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • reasonableadjectiveDerived adjective

    Showing reason or sound judgment.

  • reasonablyadverbDerived adverb

    To certain extent or degree.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • reasoning backwardnounCompound term

    The reasoning involved when you assume the conclusion is true and reason backward to the evidence.

  • reasoning by eliminationnounCompound term

    Analysis of a problem into alternative possibilities followed by the systematic rejection of unacceptable alternatives.

  • inductive reasoningnounCompound term

    Reasoning from detailed facts to general principles.

  • line of reasoningnounCompound term

    A course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating a truth or falsehood.

  • deductive reasoningnounCompound term

    Reasoning from the general to the particular (or from cause to effect).

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: deduction of inferences or interpretations from premises

thinking

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.