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Suffix · forms adjectives

-reasoned

Judges how solid an argument's logic is: well-reasoned (logically sound) versus poorly-reasoned (weak logic).

In Spanish: razonado / argumentado / fundamentado en la razónLiterary

Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated August 2026

What this suffix does

-reasoned forms compound adjectives that evaluate the logical quality of an argument, position, or conclusion. Well-reasoned, poorly-reasoned, carefully-reasoned, ill-reasoned, soundly-reasoned — each compound judges not what is concluded but how the conclusion was reached, and whether the reasoning was adequate. In academic, critical, and legal writing, these compounds are essential tools for evaluating the epistemic quality of arguments. A well-reasoned argument is one where the logical path from premises to conclusion is sound and the premises themselves are well-supported.

How it is formed

Adverb + reasoned.

  • well + reasoned
    well-reasoned (logically sound)
  • poorly + reasoned
    poorly-reasoned (weak logic)
  • carefully + reasoned
    carefully-reasoned

This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.

How it is pronounced

-reasoned

Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.

Examples

Base word
With -reasoned
In a phrase
  • wellwell-reasonedHer argument was well-reasoned and hard to disagree with.
  • poorlypoorly-reasonedThe essay was poorly-reasoned and jumped between ideas.
  • carefullycarefully-reasonedHe gave a carefully-reasoned explanation for his decision.
  • illill-reasonedThe plan was ill-reasoned from the start.
  • soundlysoundly-reasonedThe report is soundly-reasoned and backed by data.

Common mistakes

well-reasoned = persuasive or convincing (a judgment about effect)
well-reasoned = logically sound; the premises support the conclusion through valid reasoning

"Well-reasoned" is a judgment about logical structure, not about psychological persuasiveness. A well-reasoned argument is one where the logic is valid — the conclusion follows from the premises. It may or may not be persuasive to a particular audience. Conversely, a poorly-reasoned argument can be highly persuasive (through rhetoric, emotion, or appeal to prejudice) while still being logically inadequate.

"well-reasoned" only applies to arguments and opinions
"well-reasoned" applies to any judgment, position, or conclusion that involves logical inference

"Well-reasoned" can apply to arguments, opinions, verdicts, policies, positions, conclusions, reports — any output of a reasoning process that involves moving from premises to conclusions. The compound evaluates the quality of the logical process regardless of the type of output it produced.

A trick to remember it

"Well-reasoned" is one of the highest compliments you can pay to an intellectual or professional production. It says: I may or may not agree with the conclusion, but the path from the starting point to that conclusion is logically sound. In academic culture this is actually more valuable than agreement — a well-reasoned argument you disagree with forces you to examine the premises you rejected, which is how intellectual progress happens.

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Form the word

Fill in: "The judge's ___ verdict laid out each step of the logic so clearly that the losing party's lawyers could find no grounds for appeal." (argued with logical soundness; each step clearly following from the previous)

Hint: Well + reasoned = argued with valid logical structure; the conclusion properly supported by the premises.

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

"The poorly-reasoned report reached a conclusion that would have pleased the committee but could not survive the scrutiny of an independent review." What does "poorly-reasoned" say about the report?

Exercise 3 · Form the word

Fill in: "The ___ case left the opposing counsel with no room — every objection had been anticipated, tested, and answered before it could be raised." (reasoned with exceptional care and thoroughness; tested against every possible objection)

Hint: Carefully + reasoned = argued with deliberate, thorough care; each logical step examined and tested.

Frequently asked questions

What does the suffix -reasoned mean in English?

The suffix -reasoned judges how solid an argument's logic is: well-reasoned (logically sound) versus poorly-reasoned (weak logic). In Spanish it usually maps to razonado / argumentado / fundamentado en la razón.

Can you give an example of a word with -reasoned?

"well" becomes "well-reasoned". It is a typical example of the -reasoned suffix.

Other useful suffixes

  • -founded

    Judges how solid the basis of a claim or fear is: well-founded (justified, based on good evidence) versus ill-founded (baseless).

  • -grounded

    Describes how sensible or well-supported a person, idea, or theory is: well-grounded (sensible, level-headed) versus poorly-grounded (weakly supported).

  • -versed

    Describes how much someone knows about a subject: well-versed (highly knowledgeable) versus poorly-versed (having little knowledge).

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