rationalize

American  

[rash-uh-nl-ahyz, rash-nl-ahyz] / ˈræʃ ə nlˌaɪz, ˈræʃ nlˌaɪz /

especially British, rationalise

verb (used with object)

rationalizes, present (3rd person singular) rationalized, past participle, past rationalizing present participle

1. to ascribe (one's acts, opinions, etc.) to causes that superficially seem reasonable and valid but that actually are unrelated to the true, possibly unconscious and often less creditable or agreeable causes.

2. to remove unreasonable elements from.

3. to make rational or conformable to reason.

4. to treat or explain in a rational or rationalistic manner.

5. Mathematics. to eliminate radicals from (an equation or expression).

   to rationalize the denominator of a fraction.

6. Chiefly British. to reorganize and integrate (an industry).

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verb (used without object)

rationalizes, present (3rd person singular) rationalized, past participle, past rationalizing present participle

1. to invent plausible explanations for acts, opinions, etc., that are actually based on other causes.

   He tried to prove that he was not at fault, but he was obviously rationalizing.

2. to employ reason; think in a rational or rationalistic manner.

rationalize British  

/ ˈræʃənəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to justify (one's actions, esp discreditable actions, or beliefs) with plausible reasons, esp after the event

2. psychol to indulge, often unchallenged, in excuses for or explanations of (behaviour about which one feels uncomfortable or guilty)

3. to apply logic or reason to (something)

4. to eliminate unnecessary equipment, personnel, or processes from (a group of businesses, factory, etc), in order to make it more efficient

5. (tr) maths to eliminate one or more radicals without changing the value of (an expression) or the roots of (an equation)

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Usage

Although rationalize retains its principal 19th-century senses “to make conformable to reason” and “to treat in a rational manner,” 20th-century psychology has given it the now more common meaning “to ascribe (one's acts, opinions, etc.) to causes that seem reasonable but actually are unrelated to the true, possibly unconscious causes.” Although the possibility of ambiguity exists, the context will usually make clear which sense is intended.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rationalization
  noun
• rationalizer
  noun
• overrationalize
  verb
• nonrationalized
  adjective
• semirationalized
  adjective
• unrationalized
  adjective
• unrationalizing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• rationalizing
  present
• rationalized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• rationalize
  simple
• rationalizes
  simple
• have rationalized
  perfect
• has rationalized
  perfect
• am rationalizing
  progressive
• are rationalizing
  progressive
• is rationalizing
  progressive
• have been rationalizing
  perfect progressive
• has been rationalizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• rationalized
  simple
• had rationalized
  perfect
• was rationalizing
  progressive
• were rationalizing
  progressive
• had been rationalizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will rationalize
  simple
• will have rationalized
  perfect
• will be rationalizing
  progressive
• will have been rationalizing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of rationalize

First recorded in 1810–20; rational + -ize

Explanation

Rationalize means to justify by developing a rationale, or a set of reasons for something. You could rationalize cutting school, saying your classes are boring, but you are still doing what you shouldn't be doing. Rationalize can also mean reorganizing along rational lines––a watchmaker's shop might be set up in a totally illogical way that made sense only to the old owner, whose children will rationalize the shop's organization once the old man dies.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rationalize rationalizes rationalized rationalizing

Berlin aims to rationalize burdensome data-protection regulations, freeing small businesses from the costliest strictures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

“In all of the history of money bail there has never been an attempt to rationalize the money amounts. The money amounts of the bonds are literally picked out of the air.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

"Our findings allowed us to rationalize the critical role of engineering the hydrogen-bond network at the catalyst/electrolyte interface in designing high-efficiency, low-cost AEMWEs," Wu said.

From Science Daily ● May 18, 2026

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins in a presentation mostly aimed at showing that the agencies would harmonize their rules to promote cryptocurrency innovation and rationalize margin collateral requirements in securities markets.

From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026

Rather it seems that an aspect of human nature is the tendency to cling tightly to one’s advantages and privileges and to rationalize the suffering and exclusion of others.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Kane, who declined to disclose his average earnings, rationalizes that big losses are just part of the job.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026

Though she rationalizes her acts as doing the wrong thing for the right reason, the consequences will nevertheless catch up to her.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2024

In a note to employees, Mr. Iger said a new company structure was on the way that “puts more decision-making back in the hands of our creative teams and rationalizes costs.”

From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2022

But if she came out before, Berry rationalizes, surely she could again.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 14, 2022

It annoys my father no end, but he rationalizes it by saying, “We live in a service economy. We all have to feed it somehow.”

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

What started as small, rationalized decisions developed into something pervasive and hard to stop.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026

“As flows started to reverse and markets rationalized, those spectacular numbers fell into more modest territory. Then the 2022 bear market hit,” Bespoke added, noting that many investors were now stuck with “deeply underwater positions.”

From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026

“We rationalized that if this area were to burn, the whole town would burn,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2025

On Thursday, the State Department announced it would review the legal status of immigrants who praised, rationalized or made light of Kirk’s death.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2025

The notion of white supremacy rationalized the enslavement of Africans, even as whites endeavored to form a new nation based on the ideals of equality, liberty, and justice for all.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

“We’ve probably done more rationalizing the supply chain, for example shutting down plants rather than investing in creating a new manufacturing footprint,” McNamara said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

The agency describes the move as "a step forward in rationalizing its use and promoting its safe and responsible use."

From Science Daily ● Feb. 26, 2026

There is no rationalizing or interpreting to be done.

From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025

In rationalizing the closing of his shop, Tolliver reminded me he’d scaled back to working part time and was only cutting the hair of a core group of customers and friends.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2024

Why should Harry want to keep notes on his scientific hobby in code? he wondered, rationalizing even as he wondered.

From The Rotifers by Abernathy, Robert

Related Words

• justify