unreason

noun

"unreason" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unreason” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lack of reason or rationality; unreasonableness; irrationality.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unreason · unreason · English

unreason · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "U" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for unreason
PropertyValue
Headwordunreason
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “unreason” in English

unreasonsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

unreason is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for unreason, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English unreson; equivalent to un- + reason. The correct English form is unreason, spelled U-N-R-E-A-S-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lack of reason or rationality; unreasonableness; irrationality.
  2. 2
    Nonsense; folly; absurdity.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how unreason appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. c. 1566, John Knox, The Historie of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, Book I, London: 1644, Another day the same Frier made another Sermon of the Abbot of Unreason, unto whom, and whose Laws, he compareth Prelats of that age; for they were subject to no Laws, no more than was the Abbot of Unreason.
  2. […] it was long ere these scandalous and immoral sports could be abrogated;—the rude multitude continued attached to their favourite pastimes, and, both in England and Scotland, the mitre of the Catholic—the rochet of the reformed bishop—and the cloak and band of the Calvinistic divine—were, in turn, compelled to give place to those jocular personages, th…

Etymology

From Middle English unreson; equivalent to un- + reason.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "unreason"?
"unreason" is spelled U-N-R-E-A-S-O-N.
What does "unreason" mean?
As a noun, "unreason" means: Lack of reason or rationality; unreasonableness; irrationality.
What is the origin of the word "unreason"?
From Middle English unreson; equivalent to un- + reason. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list