Dictionary

rationalize en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹæʃənəlaɪz/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From French rationaliser. By surface analysis, rational + -ize.

Meanings

1. (British, English, Oxford, US) To make something rational or more rational.
2. (British, English, Oxford, US) To justify a discreditable act, or irrational behaviour.
   • Vested interest, united ties, / landed gentry, rationalize. / Look who bought the myth. / By jingo, buy America. 1987, “Exhuming McCarthy”, in Document (R.E.M. No. 5), performed by R.E.M.:
3. (British, English, Oxford, US) To remove radicals, without changing the value of an expression or the roots of an equation.
4. (British, English, Oxford, US) To structure something along modern, efficient and systematic lines, or according to scientific principles. This often includes eliminating duplication and grouping like or similar items.
   • At our October meeting, Membership Director George Kaufer suggested rationalizing schedules on the Morris & Essex and Montclair-Boonton trains. He had prepared peak-hour schedules with a focus on ensuring that trains to Hoboken alternate more equally with those to New York, rather than having a number of trains to one destination together before a train to the other city. 2024 11, Sally Jane Gellert, “Report from the Chair”, in Lackawanna Coalition Railgram:

Forms

Deriveds

rationalizer · rationalizability · overrationalize · rationalization · rationalisation · rerationalize · backward rationalize · rationalizable

Hyponyms

euhemerize

Translations (27)

sk racionalizovať (to justify negative behaviour) · ca racionalitzar (math: to remove radicals) · es racionalizar (to make something rational) · sq arësyetoj (to make something rational) · hu racionalizál (to make something rational) · fi järkeistää (to structure along systematic lines) · pt racionalizar (math: to remove radicals) · ru рационализи́ровать (to make something rational) · fr rationaliser (to make something rational) · fi rationalisoida (to make something rational) · es racionalizar (to structure along systematic lines) · es racionalizar (math: to remove radicals) · hu megideologizál (to justify negative behaviour) · fi järkevöittää (to make something rational) · fi järkiperäistää (to make something rational) · hu észszerűsít (to make something rational) · ca racionalitzar (to make something rational) · de rationalisieren (psych.) (to justify negative behaviour) · fi rationaalistaa (math: to remove radicals) · de rationalisieren (to make something rational) · fr rationaliser (to justify negative behaviour) · fi rationalisoida (to structure along systematic lines) · fi rationaalistaa (to justify negative behaviour) · de rechtfertigen (to justify negative behaviour) · fi älyllistää (to justify negative behaviour) · tl isamatwid (to make something rational) · de schönreden (to justify negative behaviour)