Reasoner

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual skilled in the art of logical deduction and reasoning can analyze complex issues to reach informed conclusions and employ critical thinking in problem-solving situations
2. A person adept at cognitive reasoning exercises systematically evaluates data, enabling the development of coherent arguments and sound decisions based on analysis
3. Someone who uses logic and critical thinking to draw conclusions and solve problems

Etymology: The surprise here is how little of this word is new. "Reasoner" is simply "reason" with the agent suffix "-er" attached, and both parts have travelled a long road before meeting. The "-er" ending descends from a Latin suffix "-arius", which English picked up through Old French "-ier" and then through Middle English "-er", and it also came into English directly through Old English "-ere", a native lineage that predates the Norman period. Attaching it to "reason" produces a person who reasons. The base word "reason" follows its own path. It came into English from Old French "raison", which descends from Latin "ratio", meaning a calculation or account, from the verb "reri", to think or reckon. The noun "reasoner" was formed in English from that stem, so the word is a regular English formation rather than a borrowing. Its meaning has stayed close to the literal sense of one who reasons, a person who thinks logically and draws conclusions.

Synonyms: thinker, logician, analyst, philosopher, intellect

Antonyms: fool, simpleton, ignoramus, dunce, naïf