reasoning

noun

rea·​son·​ing ˈrēz-niŋ How to pronounce reasoning (audio)
ˈrē-zᵊn-iŋ
Synonyms of reasoning
1
: the use of reason
especially : the drawing of inferences or conclusions through the use of reason
2
: an instance of the use of reason : argument

Synonyms of reasoning

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of reasoning in a Sentence

Could you explain your reasoning? They told everyone the reasoning behind the decision. a conclusion based on fallacious reasoning Humans possess the power of reasoning.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The court's reasoning lands on the same point the fund rule misses. — Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 These areas of the brain are engaged in reasoning, planning, and self-control. — Amanda Gardner, Martha Stewart, 5 July 2026 Meanwhile, Meta is still trying to get its Muse Spark, a multimodal reasoning model, off the ground. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 2 July 2026 ForeFlight Airflow is designed to tackle that issue by making its reasoning visible. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for reasoning

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reasoning was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing reasoning

Rhymes for reasoning

See All Rhymes for reasoning

Browse Nearby Words

reasoner
reasoning
reasonless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reasoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reasoning. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

reasoning

noun
rea·​son·​ing
1
: the use of reason
2
: the reasons used in and the proofs that result from thought : argument

More from Merriam-Webster on reasoning

Nglish: Translation of reasoning for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reasoning

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All