a. (adv.). [UN-1 7 b.]
1. Not endowed with reason; irrational.
c. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 599. He … fares als an unresonabel beste, Þat his awen wille folowes.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Peter ii. 12. Thes sotheli [ben] as vnresounable beestes.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 4428. A Roid beste vnreasonable.
c. 1450. Myrr. our Ladye, 287. But vnresonable creatures … prayse god, in that they do as god hathe … ordeyned them to do.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys, 119. Other creatures that ar vnresonable Goeth on all foure.
1569. J. Sanford, trans. Agrippa’s Van. Artes, 69 b. All the Pagans … doo affirme … that reasonable soules goo into unreasonable bodies.
1615. W. Bedwell, Moham. Impost., II. § 89. We shall leade our life … as beasts and vnreasonable creatures do.
1655. Moufet & Bennet, Health’s Improv., 265. Nay, go to your Raven and Stag, those longest livers of all the unreasonable breathers.
1675. Brooks, Gold. Key, 231. All the creatures, both reasonable and unreasonable, do in some sort set forth the praises of Christ.
1795. Southey, Soldier’s Fun., 35. Whilst his fellow-man … Must as the unreasonable beast drag on A life of labour.
1861. Reade, Cloister & H., lxxiii. There were buffaloes, lizards,… leopards; any unreasonable beast but the right one.
transf. 1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. iii. Thy wild acts denote The vnreasonable Furie of a beast.
2. Not acting in accordance with reason or good sense; not reasonable in conduct, demands, expectations, etc.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 6614 (Fairf.). Quen þai þis sagh, qua soþ wil say, Þa vnresonable folk þuȝt na play.
c. 1400. Comm. Luke i. 22. (MS. Bodl. 143). Þe puple of iewes semeþ lyk to doumb sacarie, whiche puple is so vnresonable þat it may not ȝyue resoun of his dedis.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, e vi b. This newe kynge … was to them full hard and felon, & also to al his comyns he was vnresonable.
1496. Act 12 Hen. VII., c. vii. Divers unresonable and detestable persones … wilfully committe murdre.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 126. Least thei beyng nedy and innocente people, should be … turmented with the vnreasonable men of warre.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., V. i. 203. What man is there so much vnreasonable, If you had pleas’d to haue defended it With any termes of Zeale.
1659. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., I. i. 3. [This] will give the most reasonable men satisfaction; for the unreasonable, I care not a fig for them.
c. 1670. Hobbes, Dial. Com. Laws (1681), 10. When the greatest part of Men are so unreasonable as they are.
1740. Ld. Harrington, in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. I. 275. I hope therefore that I shall not be thought unreasonable in preferring this Petition to the King.
1829. Scott, Anne of G., xxxiv. He was capricious, unreasonable, peremptory, and inconsistent.
1876. Mozley, Univ. Serm., x. (ed. 2), 205. They are not so unreasonable as to expect that they can like persons without knowing them.
3. Not in accordance with reason; not based upon sound reason or good sense.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter lxxvii. 76. Nurishynge of vnresonabill thoghtis.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. VI. 153. For it is an vnresonable Religioun þat hath riȝte nouȝte of certeyne.
c. 1450. Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.), 221. O, holy prophete! graunt me mercy! Or my synnys unresonable.
1533. More, Debell. Salem, Wks. 983/1. To shew that the same spiritual law, which this man would proue vnreasonable, is not in dede proued vnreasonable.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 226 b. Neyther that he enforce them to any vnreasonable condicyon or vnworthye for them.
1660. Trial Regic., 54. I do hold the Prisoner’s Plea vain, and unreasonable.
1688. Bunyan, Jerus. Sinner Saved (1886), 50. It would be the unreasonablest thing in the world to render hatred for love.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 164, ¶ 1. He contracted an unreasonable Aversion towards his Son.
1760. Sterne, Tr. Shandy, III. xxxi. I think it a very unreasonable demand.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. II. 159. The panic was not unreasonable.
1885. ‘Mrs. Alexander,’ At Bay, iv. A vague, unreasonable anxiety about Elsie haunted him.
† b. Inequitable, unfair; unjustifiable. Obs.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3453. I rede thow rekkyne and reherse un-resonable dedis.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. cxc. [clxxxvi.] 582. We haue to laye to his charge dyuers artycles vnresonable whiche requyre iudgement of punisyon.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxvi. 140. That … which thou thinkest unreasonable to be done by another to thy selfe.
4. Going beyond what is reasonable or equitable; excessive in amount or degree.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 233. Lordis many tymes don wrongis to pore men by … vnresonable mercymentis & vnresonable taxis.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 101. Pharao … oppressyth the pepull of Israell wyth bondage and wyth vnresynabull werkes.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., xiv. (1885), 144. Yff this ordre be kept,… suytours … shall [not] be importunite or brocage optayne any vnresonable desires.
1542. Brinklow, Compl., xxiv. (1874), 73. But the forkyd persecutors haue vnreasonable riches … in their handys.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. C 8. Is not this too vnreasonable, to take a crowne … for writing six or seuen lines?
1617. Moryson, Itin., I. 220. No Christian may enter this place … except he will giue an vnreasonable reward.
1680. Prideaux, Lett. (Camden), 79. Ye unreasonable prices set upon Bibles.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 195. Almost any reasonable quantity might have been sold there; but the truth is, we had an unreasonable quantity.
1796. Mme. D’Arblay, Camilla, III. 416. She could never again consent to interfere in his unreasonable requests.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xix. IV. 373. He had to wait a most unreasonable time for a judgment.
1893. Law Times, XCIV. 600/2. The [income] tax falls with … undue severity upon one class, and with unreasonable lightness upon others.
† b. As adv. Excessively, extremely. Obs.
1581. Pettie, Guazzo’s Civ. Conv., II. (1586), 115. There are some, who coueting to be counted unreasonable honest, frowne [etc.].
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. F 3. Thus … they make shooes vnreasonable deere.
