practical reason
Americannoun
noun
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the faculty by which human beings determine how to act
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reasoning concerning the relative merits of actions
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the principles governing arguments which issue in actions or intentions to act
Etymology
Origin of practical reason
First recorded in 1895–1900
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.
Mr Taylor, who has written about Scottish personal names and place-names, said there was a good practical reason behind the tradition.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2025
Many real-life animals known as hematophages that sustain themselves on blood for a more practical reason — survival.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2024
Natalie Portman just shared her very practical reason for steering away from Method acting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2024
Sen. Brian Schatz, Democrat from Hawaii, has a more practical reason for liking consensus.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 11, 2023
And I could think of no rational or practical reason why my father should try to find out who his father’s father was.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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Definitions 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.