rather reasonable

USAGE SUMMARY

"rather reasonable" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to offer an opinion that something is reasonable but not ideal. For example, "The cost of the party supplies seemed rather reasonable, so we decided to purchase them."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

"Their choices are rather reasonable and rational," said J. Jeffrey Anzevino, a regional planner with Scenic Hudson, a nonprofit group that seeks to control suburban sprawl.

The New York Times

A rather reasonable first go on the problem left some readers with an incorrect, though not obviously so, count of the number of triangles.

The New York Times

These symmetries, which are given by the constraints of analytical functions, look rather reasonable.

The Journal of Mathematical Neuroscience

This assumption is rather reasonable (implied by the Central Limit Theorem; Koutsoyiannis 2008, chapter 2.5.6) and could hardly harm the results.

Geoscience Letters

First, the output gap was almost continuously increasing until 2007, when it reached 6%%, much larger than the estimates of the European Commission and OECD but in line with the findings of Borio et al. (2013).8 These results imply that in the years 2005 2007, demand pressure was much higher than that of 1999 2001, which appears to be rather reasonable.

SERIEs

The reasons are mainly as following: 1) in this paper, the set of < key, value > pair in the stage of Map and Reduce of the proposed parallel spectral clustering algorithm is rather reasonable; 2) we add Combine operation after the stage Map, which greatly reduces the communication costs between the master node and slave nodes.

Journal of Cloud Computing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

Rather, a reasonable probability that the results of the election would have been changed must be shown.

The New York Times

It is not an issue of good and evil but rather a reasonable, accurate and mature approach to the subject.

Independent

One of a number of constitutional problems, according to Professor Fagan, is that the police frequently use race or national origin rather than reasonable suspicion as the basis for the stops.

The New York Times

In Floyd v. the City of New York, plaintiffs argue that the department is stopping and frisking people on the basis of race rather than reasonable suspicion of criminal behavior.

The New York Times

Speaking in New York City in 1938, he declared: "I should much rather see reasonable agreement with the Arabs on the basis of living together in peace than the creation of a Jewish state... My awareness of the essential nature of Judaism resists the idea of a Jewish state with borders, an army, and a measure of temporal power..

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In argumentative writing, use "rather reasonable" to acknowledge potential counterarguments while still maintaining your stance. For example, 'While some may disagree, this approach seems rather reasonable when considering all factors.'

Common error

Avoid using "rather reasonable" when you actually mean something is exceptionally good or perfect. The phrase implies a degree of reservation, so using it in situations demanding strong endorsement can weaken your message.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "rather reasonable" primarily functions as an evaluative adjective phrase, modifying a noun or idea to express a judgment about its degree of reasonability. Ludwig AI confirms its use to present something as acceptable but not necessarily outstanding.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

45%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "rather reasonable" is a useful phrase for expressing a moderate degree of agreement or acceptance. Ludwig AI indicates that it conveys that something is logical and acceptable, without necessarily being outstanding. It's appropriate for a variety of contexts, particularly in news, science, and general writing, providing a balanced assessment. When using "rather reasonable", be mindful of the subtle nuances it conveys, opting for stronger phrasing when a more emphatic endorsement is required.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat reasonable

Replaces "rather" with "somewhat", indicating a slightly lesser degree of reasonability.

fairly reasonable

Substitutes "rather" with "fairly", suggesting a similar level of acceptability but with a nuanced emphasis.

quite reasonable

Uses "quite" instead of "rather", offering a subtly stronger affirmation of reasonableness.

pretty reasonable

Replaces "rather" with "pretty", which is more informal but conveys a similar meaning.

relatively reasonable

Adds a comparative aspect to the reasonableness, suggesting it's reasonable in relation to something else.

generally reasonable

Indicates that the subject is reasonable in most cases or aspects.

largely reasonable

Suggests that the subject is mostly reasonable, with possible minor exceptions.

mostly reasonable

Similar to "largely reasonable", highlighting the predominant aspect of being reasonable.

acceptably reasonable

Emphasizes that the subject meets a minimum threshold of reasonableness for acceptance.

understandably reasonable

Adds a layer of comprehension to the reasonability, suggesting it's easy to see why it's reasonable.

FAQs

How can I use "rather reasonable" in a sentence?

You can use "rather reasonable" to describe something that is logical or acceptable, but not necessarily outstanding. For instance, "The price for the service was "rather reasonable", so we decided to proceed".

What are some alternatives to "rather reasonable"?

Alternatives include "somewhat reasonable", "fairly reasonable", or "quite reasonable", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it appropriate to use "rather reasonable" in formal writing?

Yes, "rather reasonable" is suitable for formal writing, as it offers a balanced and moderate assessment. However, consider the context to determine if a stronger or more precise phrase would be more effective.

What's the difference between "rather reasonable" and "very reasonable"?

"Rather reasonable" suggests a moderate degree of reasonableness, while "very reasonable" indicates a higher degree. The former implies a less enthusiastic endorsement than the latter.