irrationally
Americanadverb
-
in a way that is contrary to reason or is not sensible; illogically.
In firing a highly competent CEO without cause, the Board acted unlawfully, unreasonably, and irrationally.
Stick to your simple calculation and logic, even when markets are behaving irrationally.
-
in a way that is driven by impulse or instinct rather than reason; without having or being able to use the faculty of reason.
When a reporter started poking around, the suspect began acting irrationally and took off like a wild animal.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irrationally
First recorded in 1640–50; irrational ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People can act irrationally, change their habits, seek therapy, strengthen their commitment, or grow in ways that a mathematical model cannot fully anticipate.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
But it can also result in “fire sale” prices when the market value falls irrationally below underlying fundamentals.
From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026
Needham’s Berg also notes that one pocket of software that has irrationally been swept up in the selloff this week is human-resources and payroll software.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 7, 2026
"The rational world is behaving irrationally by giving him this welcome," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2025
It was irrational, and Colin hated thinking irrationally, but he couldn't help but wonder whether perhaps being in the presence of the Archduke might reveal something to Colin about his missing piece.
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
