What does “reason” mean?
- 1
nouna cause or explanation for something
What was the reason for the delay?
- 2
nounthe ability to think clearly and make sensible judgments
Try to listen to reason.
- 3
verbto think in a logical way to reach a conclusion
She reasoned that the shop would be quieter in the morning.
Reason at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun & verb
- CEFR level
- A2 (elementary)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈrizən/ · REE-zun
How to use “reason” correctly
Say “the reason for something” or “the reason why”: “the reason for my visit”, not “the reason of my visit”.
Common phrases with “reason”
- the reason for
- for some reason
- the reason why
- good reason
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- cause
- explanation
- motive
Word family
- reasonable
- reasonably
- reasoning
- unreasonable
“reason” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- attention nounA2careful thought, listening or looking
- chance nounA2the possibility that something will happen
- choice nounA2the act of choosing between two or more things
- decision nounA2a choice you make after thinking about it
- dream nounA2pictures and events you see in your mind while you sleep
- fact nounA2something that is known to be true
- goal nounA2something you hope or plan to achieve
- interest nounA2the feeling of wanting to know more about something