reasonable
Americanadjective
-
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
-
showing reason or sound judgment
-
having the ability to reason
-
having modest or moderate expectations; not making unfair demands
-
moderate in price; not expensive
-
fair; average
reasonable weather
Related Words
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
- half-reasonable adjective
- half-reasonably adverb
- nonreasonability noun
- nonreasonable adjective
- nonreasonableness noun
- nonreasonably adverb
- quasi-reasonable adjective
- quasi-reasonably adverb
- reasonability noun
- reasonableness noun
- reasonably adverb
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
Twelve Angry Men
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Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (1801)
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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.
Neither the city nor the county has agreed upon or given communities like San Pedro a reasonable expectation for addressing the crisis, Kuhn said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
A substantial majority of American business leaders are planning for U.S. tariffs to stay elevated for years — and that’s a reasonable expectation, according to trade specialists at PwC.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
"We can't show directly that that's happening, but we think it's a reasonable way that they could be winding up in the air. Sewage sludge fertilizers have been shown to release similar compounds."
From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026
"As a club which has its roots in the mining companies, and is based in an area with a social housing rate of 60%, we have a responsibility to be financially reasonable," the director outlines.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
You’d think a reasonable person would understand that turnabout is fair play, but you’d be surprised how quickly reason goes out the window when the bugs start spraying back.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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.
