ratiocination

[ rash-ee-os-uh-ney-shuh n, -oh-suh-, rat-ee- ]

/ ˌræʃ iˌɒs əˈneɪ ʃən, -ˌoʊ sə-, ˌræt i- /

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ratiocination ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the process of logical reasoning.

RELATED WORDS

argumentation, coherence, inference, rationale, relationship, deduction, philosophy, syllogism, connection, sanity, reason, rationality, thesis, sense, dialectic, induction, linkage

Nearby words

ratiné, ratio, ratio scale, ratio test, ratiocinate, ratiocination, ratiometer, ration, rational, rational form, rational function

Origin of ratiocination

1520–30; < Latin ratiōcinātiōn- (stem of ratiōcinātiō), equivalent to ratiōcināt(us) (see ratiocinate) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

ra·ti·oc·i·na·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ratiocination

I allude to Dr. Thomas Brown, whose theory of ratiocination is peculiar.
A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive|John Stuart Mill
Thou shalt comprehend by intuition what will never be given thee by ratiocination.
Shadows of Flames|Amelie Rives
In the last resort, the value of every probability is fixed by "ratiocination."
A Candid Examination of Theism|George John Romanes
On the other hand, the theory of free-will can be demolished by ratiocination!
The Human Machine|E. Arnold Bennett

It would be difficult to cite a more preposterous example of ratiocination.
Woman in Science|John Augustine Zahm