reasonable

[ree-zuh-nuh-buh l, reez-nuh-] /ˈri zə nə bəl, ˈriz nə-/

adjective

agreeable to reason or sound judgment; logical:

a reasonable choice for chairman.

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.

Origin

1250-1300; Middle English resonable < Middle French raisonnable < Latin ratiōnābilis. See reason, -able

Related forms

reasonableness, reasonability, noun

reasonably, adverb

half-reasonable, adjective

half-reasonably, adverb

nonreasonability, noun

nonreasonable, adjective

nonreasonableness, noun

nonreasonably, adverb

quasi-reasonable, adjective

quasi-reasonably, adverb

Can be confused

rational, reasonable (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonyms

1. intelligent, judicious, wise, equitable. 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. 2. equitable, fair, just. See moderate.

Examples from the web for reasonable

And, so far as they are intelligent, all reasonable beings guide their conduct by them.
But he has misunderstood what it means to be reasonable.
reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities.
When reality is changing faster than theory suggests it should, a certain amount of nervousness is a reasonable response.
Our task is to work out reasonable ways to survive inside its boundaries.
These anecdotes you present don't even sound reasonable on the surface, and crumble under the slightest scrutiny.
But either way, it didn't look at all right to me, whereas the conclusions in this paper seem more reasonable.
With reasonable care, they'll bloom again next winter and for years to come.
T-Mobile's latest cellular plan offers a lot to customers at a reasonable price.
Fund raisers should trust their intuition and take reasonable precautions.

British Dictionary definitions for reasonable

reasonable

/ˈriːzənəbəl/

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

Derived Forms

reasonably, adverb
reasonableness, noun

Word Origin and History for reasonable

adj.

c.1300, "having sound judgment, sane, rational," from Old French raisonable, from Latin rationabilis, from ratio (see reason (n.)).

What the majority of people consider to be 'reasonable' is that about which there is agreement, if not among all, at least among a substantial number of people; 'reasonable' for most people, has nothing to do with reason, but with consensus. [Erich Fromm, "The Heart of Man," 1968]

Meaning "moderate in price" is recorded from 1660s. Related: Reasonably.

Idioms and Phrases with reasonable

reasonable

see: beyond a (reasonable) doubt