Synonyms of reasoning

reasoning 1 of 3

adjective

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

• rational
• intelligent
• thinking
• reasonable
• logical
• analytic
• mental
• cognitive
• practical
• intellectual
• cerebral
• sensible
• cognitional
• sane
• brainy
• highbrow
• highbrowed
• levelheaded
• sober

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• irrational
• unreasonable
• nonrational
• unthinking
• unintelligent
• unreasoning
• stupid
• dumb
• slow
• dense
• obtuse
• senseless
• fatuous
• nonthinking
• mindless
• illogical
• dull
• fallacious
• dopey
• nonsensical
• brainless
• invalid
• groundless
• dorky
• doltish
• thickheaded
• half-witted

reasoning

2 of 3

noun

ˈrēz-niŋ 

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

• logic
• reason
• argumentation
• sense
• logicality
• intellection
• ratiocination
• logicalness
• rationality
• analysis
• persuasiveness
• coherence
• synthesis
• cogency
• syllogism
• deduction
• dissection
• convincingness
• induction
• disputation
• rationalness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• illogic
• incoherence
• absurdity
• irrationality
• insanity
• preposterousness
• senselessness
• nonsensicalness
• brainlessness

reasoning

3 of 3

verb

present participle of reason

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

• understanding
• deriving
• deciding
• thinking
• concluding
• inferring
• deducing
• extrapolating
• judging
• guessing
• assuming
• speculating
• reading
• ascertaining
• drawing a conclusion
• supposing
• gathering
• making out
• interpreting
• rationalizing
• construing
• surmising
• conjecturing
• contemplating
• philosophizing
• finding out
• doping (out)

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

• arguing
• contending
• pleading
• convincing
• explaining
• asserting
• justifying
• insisting
• maintaining
• claiming
• mentioning
• suggesting
• persuading
• considering
• citing
• proposing
• affirming
• adducing
• defending
• rationalizing
• discussing
• enforcing
• advocating
• advising
• offering
• urging
• submitting
• recommending
• refuting
• debating
• advancing
• giving
• counseling
• averring
• supporting
• avowing
• countering
• avouching
• espousing
• disproving
• championing
• confuting
• rebutting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of reasoning

Noun

And a 2019 study found that 45-year-old participants with slower walking speeds were more likely to score poorly on memory, reasoning, and processing speed tests. — Jenessa Connor, HEALTH, 5 Oct. 2026

But the district attorney’s reasoning with regard to the original police report exposes the problem. — Ilana Turko, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026

Verb

In an interview, Colin Marshall, an ethics professor and author of a new book on persuasion, argues that ethical persuasion begins with treating people as reasoning partners rather than psychological systems to be managed. — Eben Harrell, Harvard Business Review, 14 Sep. 2026

But some advocates for women’s health say that reasoning alone that doesn’t sit well with them. — Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026