reasonable
Americanadjective
-
agreeable to reason or sound judgment; logical.
a reasonable choice for chairman.
- Synonyms:
- wise, judicious, intelligent, equitable
-
not exceeding the limit prescribed by reason; not excessive.
reasonable terms.
-
moderate, especially in price; not expensive.
The coat was reasonable but not cheap.
-
endowed with reason.
-
capable of rational behavior, decision, etc.
adjective
-
showing reason or sound judgment
-
having the ability to reason
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having modest or moderate expectations; not making unfair demands
-
moderate in price; not expensive
-
fair; average
reasonable weather
Synonym Usage
Reasonable, rational refer to the faculty of reasoning. Rational can refer to the reasoning faculty itself or to something derived from that faculty: rational powers; a rational analysis. It can also mean sane or sensible: She was no longer rational; a rational plan. Reasonable most often means sensible: A reasonable supposition is one which appeals to our common sense. See moderate.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reasonable
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English resonable, from Middle French raisonnable, from Latin ratiōnābilis. See reason, -able
Explanation
Reasonable describes someone or something that's sensible and fair, like your teacher who gives reasonable homework assignments — they don't take you forever to do and they relate to what you are studying. If you're reasonable, you have good sense and judgment. A reasonable decision is rational and thought out, like your mom's reasonable rule about not eating crumbly foods in her car. When you describe a store's prices as reasonable, you mean they're fair — not too high. And if you are given a reasonable amount of time to do a project for school, you have no excuse for it being late.
Vocabulary lists containing reasonable
Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (1801)
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List 6
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Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He also wrote that apparent ethnicity can be a relevant factor in immigration stops when considered alongside other salient factors and that reasonable suspicion permits brief stops for questioning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
"We are extremely disappointed that, despite our best efforts, we have been unable to find a reasonable solution that would allow us to compete in both games with our strongest available squad," Burgh added.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
And access to it at a reasonable cost is becoming more of a deciding factor in the race than ever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Be honest about what you can pay for and work together to come up with a reasonable financing plan for college.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
It’s the only place of reasonable comfort to sit.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
