practical reason

American  

noun

1. (in Kantian ethics) reason applied to the problem of action and choice, especially in ethical matters.

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practical reason British  

noun

1. the faculty by which human beings determine how to act

2. reasoning concerning the relative merits of actions

3. the principles governing arguments which issue in actions or intentions to act

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Etymology

Origin of practical reason

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

practical reason

Many real-life animals known as hematophages that sustain themselves on blood for a more practical reason — survival.

From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2024

Marie Griffith, a professor of women, gender and sexuality studies at Washington University in St. Louis, says there’s a practical reason why Williamson stands no chance of winning.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 12, 2023

She says female snipers have been romanticised since World War Two, adding there is a very practical reason for this reputation.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2023

So there was a practical reason for Wainright’s change of plans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2023

I never sought to undermine Mr. de Klerk, for the practical reason that the weaker he was, the weaker the negotiations process.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela