devoid of reason

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'devoid of reason' is a correct and usable sentence in written English.
It is often used to describe something that is unreasonable or illogical. For example, "His argument was utterly devoid of reason."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

Professor Minford's arguments are not as devoid of reason as that, but they are almost as divorced from reality.

The Guardian - Opinion

Paul Bloom, in his article on the irrational consequences of empathy, suggests that empathy is devoid of reason ("The Baby in the Well," May 20th).

The New Yorker

Without the admiration of others, her pain loses purpose; while rooted in the delusion of control, her addiction is exposed as something very much out of control; obsessive; devoid of reason or justification.

The New York Times

Attempts to persuade ideologues of the virtues of opposing points of view are rarely met with success, because our modern partisan politics, contrary to Aristotle's claim, is characterized not by reason devoid of passion, but by passion devoid of reason.

The New York Times

Of course, Leica can do that because its cameras are priced to sell to people with more money than sense (oh, to number myself among them!), but the company's philosophy of "purity" isn't devoid of reason — and it's just one philosophy among many that photographers and camera makers are free to pursue.

TechCrunch

Apparently Numenius sides with those (notably the Stoics) who believe that possessing reason makes a soul fundamentally different from souls devoid of reason, and that this is crucial both for the status of the soul as such as well as for its relation to the body and perhaps also for the related bodily functions.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Unfortunately, each reason is devoid of logic, reason, or fact.

HuffPost

And, as a result, the moves its new CEO makes becomes the subject of ridiculously intense, global scrutiny, armchair speculation and analysis, and a deafening level of peanut gallery twitter blabber devoid of any reason or context.

TechCrunch

The antics of "The Smala B. B". look irrational, devoid of rhyme or reason, but they suggest a worldview that is eclectic, tolerant, good-humored and large-spirited.

The New York Times - Arts

In a market often devoid of rhyme or reason, two questions loom large: how badly does Independent News & Media want to rid itself of the Independent and the Independent on Sunday?

The Guardian

In one, he wrote of struggling to cope "in a world of battle that seems devoid of humanity or reason".

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "devoid of reason" to emphasize a complete absence of logical thinking or rationale, often in situations where reason would be expected or beneficial.

Common error

Avoid using "devoid of reason" when you actually mean "devoid of emotion". While something can be both emotional and irrational, the phrase specifically refers to a lack of logical thought, not a lack of feeling.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "devoid of reason" functions as an adjectival phrase, typically modifying a noun or pronoun to describe something as lacking logical thought or rationality. It highlights the absence of a reasoned basis, as demonstrated in the Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Academia

10%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "devoid of reason" is a grammatically correct and usable expression that indicates a lack of logical thought or rationality. While Ludwig AI confirms its validity, the phrase is relatively uncommon, appearing most frequently in news and media, scientific publications, and encyclopedias. When using the phrase, ensure that you are accurately describing a lack of logical thinking rather than a lack of emotion, and consider related alternatives like "irrational" or "unreasonable" for nuanced expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

irrational

This is a more concise adjective directly describing something as not based on reason.

unreasonable

Similar to irrational, this term suggests a lack of good judgment or logical thinking.

illogical

This alternative highlights the absence of logical consistency.

lacking rationality

This alternative replaces "devoid" with "lacking" and "reason" with "rationality", emphasizing the absence of logical thought.

disconnected from reason

This phrase emphasizes the separation or detachment from logical thought processes.

without foundation in reason

This phrase elaborates on the idea of something not being based on logical thought.

unfounded

This indicates that something lacks a rational basis or justification.

bereft of logic

Using "bereft" adds a sense of loss or absence of logic.

senseless

This implies a lack of meaning or purpose due to the absence of reason.

absurd

This suggests something is wildly inconsistent with reason or common sense.

FAQs

How can I use "devoid of reason" in a sentence?

You can use "devoid of reason" to describe arguments, actions, or decisions that lack any logical basis. For example: "His argument was "utterly devoid of reason"."

What can I say instead of "devoid of reason"?

You can use alternatives like "irrational", "unreasonable", or "illogical", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Which is correct, "devoid of reason" or "devoid of reasons"?

"Devoid of reason" is generally used to describe a lack of rationality in general. "Devoid of reasons" might be used if something lacks specific justifications, but it's less common.

What's the difference between "devoid of reason" and "lacking common sense"?

"Devoid of reason" emphasizes a lack of logical thinking or rationale. "Lacking common sense", on the other hand, implies a lack of practical judgment or understanding of everyday situations. While related, "devoid of reason" is often a stronger statement about intellectual deficiency.