reason

name

1. A surname.

noun

Etymology: From Middle English reason, reson, resen, rasen, from Old English ræsn (“beam, rafter, ceiling, wall panel”), probably from Proto-West Germanic *raʀn (“house”), from Proto-Germanic *razną (“house, dwelling”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁erh₁- (“to rest”).

1. A wall plate.

verb

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.

1. 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. […]"”

2. 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.”

   ““All right, Dad – I did follow you. But only because I was worried about you.” “Worried about me? I was worried about you! Hanging on to the roof of a speeding car! Are you nuts?” “It wasn’t moving when I climbed on to it,” reasoned the boy.”

3. To converse; to compare opinions.
4. 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.”

5. To support with reasons, as a request.
6. To persuade by reasoning or argument.

   “to reason one into a belief; to reason one out of his plan”

   “That she was not immediately ready, Emma did suspect to arise from the state of her nerves; she had not yet possessed the instrument long enough to touch it without emotion; she must reason herself into the power of performance; and Emma could not but pity such feelings, whatever their origin, and could not but resolve never to expose them to her neighbour again.”

7. To overcome or conquer by adducing reasons.

   “to reason down a passion”

8. To find by logical process; to explain or justify by reason or argument.

   “to reason out the causes of the librations of the moon”