rationale

American  

[rash-uh-nal] / ˌræʃ əˈnæl /

noun

1. the fundamental reason or reasons serving to account for something.

   Synonyms:

   ground, basis, logic

2. a statement of reasons.

3. a reasoned exposition of principles.

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rationale British  

/ ˌræʃəˈnɑːl /

noun

1. a reasoned exposition, esp one defining the fundamental reasons for a course of action, belief, etc

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Etymology

Origin of rationale

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin: neuter of ratiōnālis rational

Example Sentences

Ben Carlson, director of institutional asset management at Ritholtz Wealth Management, shares this chart on his Wealth of Common Sense blog that offers rationale for an outperformance by international stocks last year.

From MarketWatch

OpenAI’s chief financial officer, Sarah Friar, further explained the rationale behind the company’s directional shift in a blog post on Sunday.

From MarketWatch

For locals, much of the anger stems from the clash between the administration’s stated rationale for being in the area and the reality on the ground.

From The Wall Street Journal

Speaking on Match of the Day earlier this season, Carrick said that his rationale was to stop all access to Tuchel's midfield two because their progression was typically through the middle.

From BBC

In practice, the most common rationale I see used by people who leave their funds with a former employer is the “age 55 exception.”

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• excuse
• explanation
• hypothesis
• justification
• motivation
• motive
• philosophy
• principle
• rationalization
• reason
• theory