Synonyms

rationally

American

[rash-uh-nl-ee, rash-nl-] / ˈræʃ ə nl i, ˈræʃ nl- /

adverb

in a way that is agreeable to and supported by reason; sensibly or logically.

It’s a bit difficult to explain rationally to your teenager why they are being subjected to a drug test at home.
Right-brain thinking also includes intuition, which is not understood rationally but is nonetheless highly valued.

Other Word Forms

antirationally adverb
hyperrationally adverb
nonrationally adverb
overrationally adverb
quasi-rationally adverb
transrationally adverb
ultrarationally adverb
unrationally adverb

Etymology

Origin of rationally

rational ( def. ) + -ly

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.

The public, quite rationally, tends to assign blame to the party in power.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

The risky firm rationally self-selects onto the oversight track.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

“While we envision a future where space-based data centers become physically feasible, they currently remain rationally improbable,” Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani wrote in a note to clients Thursday morning.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

She added, “To its credit, the Government does not defend President Trump’s derogatory statements. No one rationally could.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2026

We asked courts to recognize that such a judgment cannot rationally be passed on children below a certain age because they are unfinished products, human works in progress.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023