reasoning
Thinking things through
Reasoning is the process of thinking through something logically—drawing conclusions from facts, evidence, or premises.
It's what you do when you work out a problem or justify a belief: Her reasoning was sound, even if I disagreed with her conclusion.
The word can refer to the mental activity itself or to the arguments produced by it: I couldn't follow his reasoning.
Mental reasoning process
- thoughtMental concept or reflection
- cognitionMental knowledge acquisition
- metacognitionAwareness of own reasoning
- comprehensionMental understanding of meaning
understanding · insight · intuition · judgment · discernment · perception · conceptualization · abstraction
Conclusion from premises
- inductionFormal admission process
- abductionUnlawful seizure of person
- syllogismFormal deductive argument structure
- premiseFoundation for logical argument
conclusion · inference · validity · soundness · fallacy · axiom · theorem · proof
Science of valid reasoning
- assertionConfident statement of fact
- invariantRemaining always constant
- preconditionNecessary prior requirement
- constraintLimiting condition or rule
Facts supporting truth
- hypothesisTestable proposed explanation
- causalityCause-effect connection
- correlationStatistical relationship measure
- analogyExplanatory likeness between things
extrapolation · interpretation · conjecture · speculation · generalization · assumption · synthesis · evaluation
Systematic reasoning process
- counterargumentPoint challenging another's position
- refutationDisproving a statement
- objectionExpression of disapproval
- critiqueDetailed evaluative analysis
skepticism · scrutiny · debate · dialectic · disputation · bias · cogency · persuasion
Answer or liquid mixture
- strategyPlanned approach to goals
- troubleshootingSystematic fault diagnosis
- algorithmFinite problem-solving procedure
- optimizationMaximizing efficiency or performance
decision-making · brainstorming · creativity · deductive · analytical · methodical · systematic · root-cause
thinking
Mental reasoning process
- thoughtMental concept or reflection
- cognitionMental knowledge acquisition
- metacognitionAwareness of own reasoning
comprehension · understanding · insight · intuition · judgment · discernment · perception · conceptualization · abstraction · schema
deduction
Conclusion from premises
- inductionFormal admission process
- abductionUnlawful seizure of person
- syllogismFormal deductive argument structure
premise · conclusion · inference · validity · soundness · fallacy · axiom · theorem · proof · proposition
logic
Science of valid reasoning
- assertionConfident statement of fact
- invariantRemaining always constant
- preconditionNecessary prior requirement
evidence
Facts supporting truth
- hypothesisTestable proposed explanation
- causalityCause-effect connection
- correlationStatistical relationship measure
analogy · extrapolation · interpretation · conjecture · speculation · generalization · assumption · synthesis · evaluation · assessment
argumentation
Systematic reasoning process
- counterargumentPoint challenging another's position
- refutationDisproving a statement
- objectionExpression of disapproval
critique · skepticism · scrutiny · debate · dialectic · disputation · bias · cogency · persuasion · rebuttal
solution
Answer or liquid mixture
- strategyPlanned approach to goals
- troubleshootingSystematic fault diagnosis
- algorithmFinite problem-solving procedure
optimization · decision-making · brainstorming · creativity · deductive · analytical · methodical · systematic · root-cause · trial-and-error
- contemplationcontemplation, meditation, reflection, pondering, musing
- inquiryinquiry, investigation, questioning, examination, exploration
- mental claritymental clarity, lucidity, clear thinking, clear head, clear-headedness
- mental sharpnessmental agility, mental clarity, mental focus, acumen, sharp mind
- mental skillsmemory, intelligence, focus, concentration, logic
- reasoninglogic, inference, deductive, analysis, inductive
reasoningirrationality
Absence of logic
illogic · unreason · illogicality · incoherence · nonsense
reasoningintuition
Instinctive immediate understanding
instinct · gut feeling · gut instinct · impulse · hunch
reasoningunthinking
Lacking conscious thought
thoughtlessness · mindlessness · brainlessness · stupidity · irrational
- abstract reasoningThought using concepts alone
- faulty reasoningInvalid logical process
- circular reasoningFallacy assuming its conclusion
- logical reasoningStructured thought process
- quantitative reasoningProblem-solving through numbers
- deductive reasoningDeriving specifics from generalities