理り性せい

り

せ

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

The faculty of logical thought and sound judgment, often contrasted with emotion or instinct. Used in both everyday and philosophical contexts.

感かん情じょうに流ながされず、理り性せいで判はん断だんすべきだ。
You should judge with reason, not be swayed by emotion.
彼かれは理り性せいを失うしなって怒おこり狂くるった。
He lost his reason and flew into a rage.

See all 56 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

理り性せいを失うしなうto lose one's reason/rationality
彼かれは怒いかりのあまり理り性せいを失うしなった。
He lost his reason out of sheer anger.
理り性せいを保たもつto keep one's composure/reason
彼かの女じょはどんな時ときでも理り性せいを保たもっていた。
She kept her composure no matter the situation.
理り性せいを働はたらかせるto apply one's reason/rational thinking
パニックにならず、理り性せいを働はたらかせて考かんがえよう。
Let's not panic and think it through rationally.
〈事こと〉は理り性せいを欠かく(something) lacks rationality/reason
その発はつ言げんは理り性せいを欠かいていると批ひ判はんされた。
The remark was criticized as lacking rationality.

Expressions

理り性せいのタガthe bounds of reason; the limits of common sense
理り性せいに訴うったえるappeal to reason

Kanji

理logic, arrangement, reason
性sex, gender, nature

Related words

知ち性せいN1
知性 emphasizes raw intelligence and mental capability, while 理性 stresses the capacity for sound, rational judgment and self-control.
分ふん別べつN1
分別 is practical good sense or discretion in everyday behavior, while 理性 is the broader philosophical faculty of reason itself.
合ごう理りN2
理性 refers to a person's inner faculty of reason, while 合理 refers to the abstract property of being in accordance with reason or logic.

Opposites· 5

感かん情じょうN3
理性 is rational, logical thinking, while 感情 is emotion or feeling, and the two are classically presented as opposing forces in a person.
本ほん能のうN1
理性 is deliberate, learned rational judgment, whereas 本能 is instinct—innate, automatic behavior not guided by thought.
情じょうN1
情 refers to emotion or feeling, while 理性 refers to reason or rational judgment, and the two are classically contrasted as in 情に流されず理性で判断する.

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野や性せいN1
野性 is raw, untamed instinct, whereas 理性 is rational thought that controls or suppresses such instinct.
感かん性せい
理性 is rational, logical thinking, often contrasted with 感性, which is intuitive, emotional or aesthetic perception.

Word family

合ごう理り性せい
rationality; reasonableness
理り性せい的てき
rational; reasonable; logical
理り性せい論ろん
rationalism
実じっ践せん理り性せい
practical reason; practical ethics
純じゅん粋すい理り性せい
pure reason

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound of 理 (logic, principle) and 性 (nature, character). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination has long been used to denote the faculty of reason.