ratiocination
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˌrætiˌoʊsɪˈneɪʃən/
- Archaic
:
raciocinio
- The scientist's ratiocination led to a breakthrough in understanding the chemical reactions involved.
- ratiocination and present imagination
- real ratiocination
Examples
-
The message herein is the epitome of ratiocination.
Blog text (32) -
How compelling is such ratiocination?
Academic text (1992) -
For love is a passion, not a judgment arrived at by a process of ratiocination.
Academic text (1997) -
With calm ratiocination befitting a classical figure, Licurgo assesses an array of options.
Academic text (1993) -
A social misfit, Dupin solves crimes by relying on rationality (or "ratiocination," as Poe called it).
Blog text (15) -
His careful ratiocination allowed him to solve the complex problem step by step.
-
Through rigorous ratiocination, the detective pieced together the clues to identify the suspect.
Synonyms
221
3.9
A way of thinking in a clear, logical order to form a conclusion
1
3.7
A careful use of reason to solve problems
Deciding something from facts or reasons
Antonyms
How Logical
Surface Forms
Morphology
ratiocination = ratiocinate (opaque) = ratio + ation
The verb 'ratiocinate' and the noun 'ratiocination' are rare and Latinate; learners are unlikely to derive the specific meaning from the more familiar sense of 'ratio' (usually 'proportion').
Etymology
Ratiocination comes from the Latin root ratio, which means 'reason' or 'calculation' and is the same root in English words like ratio and rational. So, ratiocination is the process of thinking carefully and step by step, like 'counting' your thoughts to reach a logical answer.