- reason
- [[t]ri͟ːz(ə)n[/t]]
♦1) N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft N for n, N to-inf The reason for something is a fact or situation which explains why it happens or what causes it to happen.
There is a reason for every important thing that happens...
Who would have a reason to want to kill her?
...the reason why Italian tomatoes have so much flavour...
The only reason I went was because I was told to...
My parents came to Germany for business reasons...
The exact locations are being kept secret for reasons of security.
2) N-UNCOUNT: usu N to-inf If you say that you have reason to believe something or to have a particular emotion, you mean that you have evidence for your belief or there is a definite cause of your feeling.They had reason to believe there could be trouble...
He had every reason to be upset...
He doesn't trust me. With good reason.
Syn:3) N-UNCOUNT The ability that people have to think and to make sensible judgements can be referred to as reason....a conflict between emotion and reason...
Mike is my voice of reason. He thinks logically and points out where I'm going wrong.
Syn:4) VERB If you reason that something is true, you decide that it is true after thinking carefully about all the facts.→ See also , reasoning[V that] I reasoned that changing my diet would lower my cholesterol level...
[V with quote] `Listen,' I reasoned, `it doesn't take a genius to figure out what Adam's up to.'
5) PHRASE: PHR with cl If you do not know why someone did something, you can say that they did it for reasons best known to themselves. You usually use this expression when you do not agree with what they did.For reasons best known to himself, Algie changed his name.
6) PHRASE: PHR n If one thing happens by reason of another, it happens because of it. [FORMAL]The boss retains enormous influence by reason of his position...
He pleaded innocent by reason of insanity.
7) PHRASE: V inflects If you try to make someone listen to reason, you try to persuade them to listen to sensible arguments and be influenced by them.The company's top executives had refused to listen to reason.
8) PHRASE: PHR with cl If you say that something happened or was done for no reason, for no good reason, or for no reason at all, you mean that there was no obvious reason why it happened or was done.The guards, he said, would punch them for no reason...
For no reason at all the two men started to laugh.
9) PHRASE: usu poss PHR If a person or thing is someone's reason for living or their reason for being, they are the most important thing in that person's life.Chloe is my reason for living.
10) PHRASE: PHR with cl (vagueness) If you say that something happened or is true for some reason, you mean that you know it happened or is true, but you do not know why.For some reason, the curtains were shut...
For some inexplicable reason she was attracted to Patrick.
11) PHRASE: PHR with cl, n PHR If you say that you will do anything within reason, you mean that you will do anything that is fair or reasonable and not too extreme.I will take any job that comes along, within reason...
It means working, within reason, for whatever time is necessary.
Phrasal Verbs:
English dictionary. 2008.
