raison

Raison is a French noun meaning reason, justification, or basis for an action. It can refer to the faculty of thinking logically as well as to grounds for a claim or decision. In everyday French, phrases such as avoir raison (to be right) and donner la raison (to provide the reason) are common. The related verb raisonner means to reason, and adjectives such as raisonnable (reasonable) and rationnel (rational) derive from the same root.

Etymology: Raison comes from Old French, ultimately from Latin ratio, meaning calculation, reckoning, or reason. The term has cognates in many Romance languages and is closely linked to theories of logic and justification.

Usage in English: In English-language writing, raison is usually encountered in fixed expressions borrowed from French, most notably raison d'être (reason for being) and raison d'État (state reason or justification of government action). In most contexts, English uses "reason" instead of the French loanword, except for stylistic or academic uses.

Philosophical and cultural context: In philosophy and theory, la raison (reason) is a central concept, and the French word reflects that tradition. The forms raisonner, raisonnement (reasoning), and raisonnable (reasonable) connect everyday language to larger debates about rationality, justification, and ethics.

See also: raison d'être; raison d'État; raisonner; raisonnable; rationnel.