ratiocinate
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ratiocinate
First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin ratiōcinātus, past participle of ratiōcinārī “to reckon, calculate, conclude,” verbal derivative of ratiō “reason”
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.
But don’t ratiocinate with me—I cannot bear it.
From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson Swanston Edition Vol. 6 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis
For instance, while others discuss and debate, It is thus about Bishops I ratiocinate.
From The Complete Poems of Sir Thomas Moore Collected by Himself with Explanatory Notes by Rossetti, William Michael
But don’t ratiocinate with me—I cannot bear it.
From Merry Men by Stevenson, Robert Louis
If one is struck by the magnificence of the great towns of the Continent, one should ratiocinate, and conclude that a major characteristic of the great towns of England is their shabby and higgledy-piggledy slovenliness.
From The Author's Craft by Bennett, Arnold
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.
