By reason of, by means of; on account of; because of. "Spain is thin
sown of people, partly by reason of the sterility of the soil." Bacon.
-- In reason, In all reason, in justice; with rational ground; in a
right view.
When anything is proved by as good arguments as a thing of that
kind is capable of, we ought not, in reason, to doubt of its
existence.
Tillotson.
-- It is reason, it is reasonable; it is right. [Obs.]
Yet it were great reason, that those that have children should have
greatest care of future times.
Bacon.
Syn. -- Motive; argument; ground; consideration; principle; sake;
account; object; purpose; design. See Motive, Sense.
Rea"son (r"z'n), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Reasoned (-z'nd); p. pr. & vb. n.
Reasoning.] [Cf. F. raisonner. See Reason, n.] 1. To exercise the
rational faculty; to deduce inferences from premises; to perform the
process of deduction or of induction; to ratiocinate; to reach
conclusions by a systematic comparison of facts.
2. Hence: To carry on a process of deduction or of induction, in order
to convince or to confute; to formulate and set forth propositions and
the inferences from them; to argue.
Stand still, that I may reason with you, before the Lord, of all
the righteous acts of the Lord.