unreason
Americannoun
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inability or unwillingness to think or act rationally, reasonably, or sensibly; irrationality.
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lack of reason or sanity; madness; confusion; disorder; chaos.
a world torn by unreason.
verb (used with object)
noun
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irrationality or madness
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something that lacks or is contrary to reason
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lack of order; chaos
verb
Etymology
Origin of unreason
First recorded in 1250–1300, unreason is from the Middle English word un-reson. See un- 1, 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.
It emerges, historically, when a sufficient mass of the populace has become terrified into unreason and ceded control into the hands of the evil but assured.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 21, 2025
They are the voices of reason against implacable unreason.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2023
So my question is not “Is divorce reasonable?” but rather, “Are we susceptible to the unreason that triggered war once before?”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 6, 2023
But I fear that we will respond to the adversity that climate change brings with hate, fear, and unreason.
From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2018
“The Roman genius, and perhaps the Roman flaw,” he said, “was an obsession with order. One sees it in their architecture, their literature, their laws—this fierce denial of darkness, unreason, chaos.”
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
