Dictionary.com

ratiocinate

[ rash-ee-os-uh-neyt, -oh-suh-, rat-ee- ]
/ ˌræʃ iˈɒs əˌneɪt, -ˈoʊ sə-, ˌræt i- /
Save This Word!

verb (used without object), ra·ti·oc·i·nat·ed, ra·ti·oc·i·nat·ing.
to reason; carry on a process of reasoning.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of ratiocinate

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin ratiōcinātus, past participle of ratiōcinārī “to reckon, calculate, conclude,” verbal derivative of ratiō “reason”

OTHER WORDS FROM ratiocinate

ra·ti·oc·i·na·tor, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ratiocinate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ratiocinate

ratiocinate
/ (ˌrætɪˈɒsɪˌneɪt) /

verb
(intr) to think or argue logically and methodically; reason

Derived forms of ratiocinate

ratiocination, nounratiocinative, adjectiveratiocinator, noun

Word Origin for ratiocinate

C17: from Latin ratiōcinārī to calculate, from ratiō reason
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK