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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reasoning
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Beyond that, understanding and reasoning about how objects interact will be key to taking the next steps toward acting fully naturally.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Awaneesh Verma, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
The lab specializes in embodied AI—systems that integrate sensing, learning, and reasoning to make decisions in the physical world.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Noun
Participants in the experimental group partook in one of three kinds of brain training − speed, memory or reasoning − twice per week for 60 to 75 minutes per session over five weeks.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Beyond that, understanding and reasoning about how objects interact will be key to taking the next steps toward acting fully naturally.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
At first, decision re-litigation decreases, because the capability preserves reasoning.
—Awaneesh Verma, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026
The lab specializes in embodied AI—systems that integrate sensing, learning, and reasoning to make decisions in the physical world.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reasoning
Adjective
-
Perardi tried to stay rational.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
-
This disconnect between individual choice and individual benefit represents not merely an economic inefficiency but a philosophical failure to respect the rational agency of health care consumers.—
Jared Rhoads,
STAT,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Again and again, Jewish tradition warns against mob logic — against the false safety of blending into collective outrage.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Put that same logic to work in other areas of the home.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Through outreach campaigns, reminders, and accessible digital resources, Pet Parent encourages informed ownership practices such as keeping contact information current and understanding local care requirements.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
-
But understanding how this works — who pays and how, who benefits and how — can help with decision-making.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Generally, the judges who’ve released detainees say the federal government is wrongly arguing that a statute that historically applied to migrants caught at the border can be applied to anyone seeking to gain legal status to remain in the United States.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
In 2014, the New York Times published a six-part series arguing for a repeal on the federal marijuana ban, comparing the government’s treatment of cannabis to the prohibition on alcohol in the 1920s.—
Elaine Mallon,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In addition, Kravitz regularly serves as an appeal host, supporting nonprofit organizations in raising funds through emotionally intelligent storytelling and crowd engagement.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
-
An authority figure might be quite impressed by your speedy progress or intelligent questions.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Gordon pointed to a January study published in the journal Science as highlighting the reason behind the decline in overdose deaths.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
My sense is that the reason for this disconnect—the loss of power that faith traditions and philosophies once had to influence progressive movements—is that so much of it is digital now.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Large language models represent the first technology capable of analyzing, contextualizing and deriving insights from this avalanche of information.—
Sahar Hashmi,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Resolve this by walking your own path (literally) and deriving support from people who are capable of caring about you.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Council members Marc Whyte and Misty Spears opposed the move, contending that the city should not interfere with ICE’s work and doing so could result in lawsuits.—
Madison Iszler,
San Antonio Express-News,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Of all of the non-playoff teams, Baltimore is the closest to contending.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reasoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reasoning. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
