Word family noun rationality ≠ irrationality rationale rationalism rationalist rationalization adjective rational ≠ irrational rationalist verb rationalize adverb rationally ≠ irrationally
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrationalera‧tio‧nale /ˌræʃəˈnɑːl $ -ˈnæl/ ●○○ noun [countable usually singular] formalREASON the reasons for a decision, belief etcrationale behind/for/of The rationale behind the changes is not at all evident. The rationale for using this teaching method is to encourage student confidence.► see thesaurus at reasonExamples from the Corpus
rationale• These arguments suggest that it may be possible to provide a rationale for an industrial policy to subsidize sunrise industries.• It provides the leaders of an organization with a convenient rationale for their hidebound maintenance-oriented policies.• The political rationale is not clear.• To adopt an approach akin to that used in the United States would be fundamentally to alter the rationale for judicial review.• The recommendations of Project 2000 should be read in full in order to appreciate the rationale behind them.• While the number of levels has endured, the rationale turned out to be unsustainable.• In the document he explains the rationale for his plan to build a car for the African market.• Paul also rejected the rationale of both the offender and the offended.• If you do not understand the rationale behind any action you are asked to take, be sure to find out.• The rationale for engagement is different in each case.rationale behind/for/of• High-performing enterprises maximize as a means of achieving eventual success, then position this success as a rationale for system-wide change.• An unjust delay becomes another rationale for injustice.• The lawsuit also noted that the official rationale for raising the dam was flood control, not providing more water.• We first provide a positive rationale for considering state ownership, by examining its advantages.• This background provides the rationale of naturopathy, or nature cure, and other sensible, healthy dietary regimes.• Extension of the individual freedom of conscience decisions to business corporations strains the rationale of these cases to the breaking point.• One might well ask how important the element of criminal damage is to the rationale of the aggravated offence.• The rationale for this approach is that there are few suffixes relative to words.From Longman Business Dictionaryrationalera‧tion‧ale /ˌræʃəˈnɑːl-ˈnæl/ noun the rationale the set of reasons that a decision or belief is based onThe chairman began by explaining the rationale behind the company’s decision to expand its business in Asia.Origin rationale (1600-1700) Modern Latin Latin rationalis; → RATIONAL 