reasonable
Americanadjective
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agreeable to reason or sound judgment; logical.
a reasonable choice for chairman.
- Synonyms:
- wise, judicious, intelligent, equitable
-
not exceeding the limit prescribed by reason; not excessive.
reasonable terms.
-
moderate, especially in price; not expensive.
The coat was reasonable but not cheap.
-
endowed with reason.
-
capable of rational behavior, decision, etc.
adjective
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showing reason or sound judgment
-
having the ability to reason
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having modest or moderate expectations; not making unfair demands
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moderate in price; not expensive
-
fair; average
reasonable weather
Synonym Usage
Reasonable, rational refer to the faculty of reasoning. Rational can refer to the reasoning faculty itself or to something derived from that faculty: rational powers; a rational analysis. It can also mean sane or sensible: She was no longer rational; a rational plan. Reasonable most often means sensible: A reasonable supposition is one which appeals to our common sense. See moderate.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reasonable
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English resonable, from Middle French raisonnable, from Latin ratiōnābilis. See reason, -able
Explanation
Reasonable describes someone or something that's sensible and fair, like your teacher who gives reasonable homework assignments — they don't take you forever to do and they relate to what you are studying. If you're reasonable, you have good sense and judgment. A reasonable decision is rational and thought out, like your mom's reasonable rule about not eating crumbly foods in her car. When you describe a store's prices as reasonable, you mean they're fair — not too high. And if you are given a reasonable amount of time to do a project for school, you have no excuse for it being late.
Vocabulary lists containing reasonable
Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (1801)
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List 6
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Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
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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.
"All-in from a market perspective we think it's still a reasonable base case that there is resolution in the conflict, even if things may get worse before it gets better," Wan said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
“The district attorney’s office has an ethical obligation to file only those charges that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt based on the available evidence,” the news release read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
Two concurring justices favored harmless-error review, which would preserve the verdict if the state proved, “beyond a reasonable doubt,” that the discredited testimony did not affect the outcome.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
Meanwhile, the banks’ valuations look reasonable based on earnings, but more expensive compared with shareholder equity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
At the time it seemed like a perfectly reasonable promise.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
