Which term describes reasoning based on prior knowledge rather than experience?

Which term describes reasoning based on prior knowledge rather than experience?

• A. Edify
• B. Expunge
• C. Abject
• D. A Priori

Answer: (D)

When we describe reasoning based on what we already know without relying on new observation, we call it a priori reasoning. The term a priori, from Latin meaning “from before,” is used for knowledge or justification that doesn’t depend on sense experience. For example, basic logical truths or mathematical statements like 2+2=4 are known through reason alone, not by checking the world. So this term best fits the idea of reasoning based on prior knowledge rather than experience. The other options don’t fit because they refer to actions or states unrelated to how we justify knowledge: edify means to instruct morally, expunge means to erase, and abject describes something miserable.

When we describe reasoning based on what we already know without relying on new observation, we call it a priori reasoning. The term a priori, from Latin meaning “from before,” is used for knowledge or justification that doesn’t depend on sense experience. For example, basic logical truths or mathematical statements like 2+2=4 are known through reason alone, not by checking the world. So this term best fits the idea of reasoning based on prior knowledge rather than experience. The other options don’t fit because they refer to actions or states unrelated to how we justify knowledge: edify means to instruct morally, expunge means to erase, and abject describes something miserable.