Reasoning

How to spell reasoning

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce reasoning

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does reasoning mean?

1. nounThe process of thinking about something in a logical way to form a conclusion or judgement.

Reasoning in a sentence

• The judge explained the reasoning behind the sentence in clear terms.

• Her reasoning was sound, so the committee accepted the proposal.

Where does reasoning come from?

Language of origin: French

This word grows from the noun 'reason', which English borrowed from Old French 'raison' in the medieval period, itself descending from the Latin 'rationem', the accusative of 'ratio', meaning a reckoning, a calculation, or a faculty of judgement. The Latin 'ratio' came in turn from the verb 'reri', meaning 'to think' or 'to reckon', so the idea of careful mental calculation sits at the very root of the word. As 'reason' settled into English it gathered the sense of the mental power that draws conclusions, and adding the native English suffix '-ing' turned it into a word for the activity itself: the act of thinking something through. The spelling preserves the French-influenced 'ea' vowel, which is the small trap, since the sound gives no clear clue that two vowels are needered. The close cousin 'rational' keeps the original Latin 'ratio' visible, a useful reminder that 'reasoning' is built on the same idea of reckoning.

How the word is built

• reason (from Latin ratio: reckoning, judgement)
• -ing (noun/gerund suffix)