Reasoning

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹiːzənɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The cognitive process of deriving conclusions from premises involves critical thinking and logical analysis to solve problems and evaluate evidence
2. The mental activity of deriving conclusions involves using logic and critical thinking to evaluate evidence and solve various problems
3. The process of using logic and evidence to arrive at conclusions or decisions

Etymology: The word "reasoning" is simply the present participle and gerund of "reason," so its history is really the history of that verb. The root idea is a kind of calculation: "reason" comes from Latin "ratio," a word for reckoning or computing, built on "ratus," the past participle of "reor," meaning to reckon or think. That same Latin stem also gave English "ratio" and "ration," which are doublets of "reason," meaning they descend from the same source by separate routes. The English noun "reason" has a second, unrelated ancestor. Old English "ræsn" meant a beam, rafter or ceiling, and it was probably connected to an ancient Germanic word for "house." So in one line of descent, the same spelling traces back to the framework of a building, while in the other it traces back to the faculty of thought. Old English had its own word for logic, "racu," but it was displaced by the French-derived "reason."

Synonyms: thinking, logic, rationale, deduction, argumentation

Antonyms: irrationality, illogic