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

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

There’s probably some very practical reason for it, like funding, but it’s really lovely.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2024

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

The official ideology abounds with contradictions even where there is no practical reason for them.

From "1984" by George Orwell