irrational
without the faculty of reason; deprived of reason.
without or deprived of normal mental clarity or sound judgment.
not in accordance with reason; utterly illogical: irrational arguments.
not endowed with the faculty of reason: irrational animals.
Mathematics.
(of a number) not capable of being expressed exactly as a ratio of two integers.
(of a function) not capable of being expressed exactly as a ratio of two polynomials.
Algebra. (of an equation) having an unknown under a radical sign or, alternately, with a fractional exponent.
Greek and Latin Prosody.
of or relating to a substitution in the normal metrical pattern, especially a long syllable for a short one.
noting a foot or meter containing such a substitution.
Mathematics. irrational number.
Origin of irrational
1Other words for irrational
Other words from irrational
- ir·ra·tion·al·ly, adverb
- ir·ra·tion·al·ness, noun
- non·ir·ra·tion·al, adjective, noun
- non·ir·ra·tion·al·ness, noun
Words Nearby irrational
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use irrational in a sentence
You have to strike a balance where you’re not telling people that what they’re saying is irrational, silly, crazy.
Mobilizing the National Guard Doesn’t Mean Your State Is Under Martial Law. Usually. | by Logan Jaffe | September 17, 2020 | ProPublicaIt’s possible that today’s market is an indication of things to come, where fundamentals play a larger part in valuations, as opposed to the irrational exuberance that has persisted in recent months within tech.
Jittery investors eye today’s big jobs report as markets rebound from an epic sell-off | Bernhard Warner | September 4, 2020 | FortuneJohn Coates, a Wall Street trader turned neuroscientist, considers the molecule of “irrational exuberance” in The Hour Between Dog and Wolf.
The best books, journalists, and academics for keeping up with bubbles and trading | John Detrixhe | August 30, 2020 | QuartzPrimarily, this problem is a byproduct of “irrational exuberance” in the early 2000s and the use of public sector banks by successive governments to propel the economy.
The Modi government’s plan to overcome economic slump ignores a bitter lesson from the past | Prathamesh Mulye | August 18, 2020 | QuartzOnly a few months ago, this type of behavior would have been considered excessive, irrational, even pathological, and certainly not healthy.
Are We All OCD Now, With Obsessive Hand-Washing And Technology Addiction? | LGBTQ-Editor | June 15, 2020 | No Straight News
The Samaritan guidelines are written around the assumption that suicide is a purely irrational act, an act spurred by illness.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism | Arthur Chu | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe fact that the virus is still alive has sustained many safety concerns, both rational and irrational, about its use.
Powdered Measles Vaccine Could Be Huge for Developing World | Kent Sepkowitz | December 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe writing team behind these videos are some seriously mad comedy crackheads, and they manage some brilliantly irrational bits.
There Are More 'Too Many Cooks' Where That First Fever Dream Came From | Kevin Fallon | November 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFarah, of course, is not alone in holding this acrobatically irrational view.
Surprise! Leading ‘Birther’ Thinks Earth is 6,000 Years Young | Asawin Suebsaeng | October 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTo a certain degree, there is an irrational sense of betrayal.
Renee Zellweger's Face Gets More Medical Scrutiny Than Ebola | Emily Shire | October 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe was, I knew, a deep, thinly-covered tank of resentments and quite irrational moral rages.
The New Machiavelli | Herbert George WellsSuddenly my irrational complaint was silenced as certain words of Saint Paul to the Corinthians reverberated in my mind.
The Relief of Mafeking | Filson YoungAnimals, irrational animals, had told the secret, and birds of the air had carried the matter.
The Fortunes of Nigel | Sir Walter ScottIt seemed to me that he was foolish and irrational, altogether unlike himself.
Paul Patoff | F. Marion CrawfordIt is an irrational practice, even when adopted by military tribunals.
My Recollections of Lord Byron | Teresa Guiccioli
British Dictionary definitions for irrational
/ (ɪˈræʃənəl) /
inconsistent with reason or logic; illogical; absurd
incapable of reasoning
maths
not rational
(as noun): an irrational
prosody (in Greek or Latin verse)
of or relating to a metrical irregularity, usually the occurrence of a long syllable instead of a short one
denoting a metrical foot where such an irregularity occurs
Derived forms of irrational
- irrationally, adverb
- irrationalness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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