English Meaning & Definitions
The action of attempting to explain or justify behavior or an attitude with logical reasons, even if these are not appropriate or true.
- “His claim that he only cheated because the test was unfair was a clear rationalization for his lack of preparation.”
- “Psychologists often study how people use rationalization to cope with feelings of guilt or failure.”
The reorganization of a process or system so as to make it more logical and efficient.
- “The company underwent a major rationalization of its production lines to reduce overhead costs.”
- “The rationalization of the tax code was intended to simplify filing for small business owners.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “rationalization”.
Derived from the Latin 'rationalis' (endowed with reason), via the French 'rationaliser'. The term evolved in the 19th century to describe the process of making something logical, and later gained a specific psychological meaning in the early 20th century, popularized by Freudian psychoanalysis to describe the defense mechanism of justifying irrational behavior.
Think of a 'rational' person trying to 'create' (ation) a logical excuse for an irrational mistake.
Frequently Asked Questions About “rationalization”
1. What is the meaning of “rationalization” in English?
In English, rationalization (noun) is defined as: “The action of attempting to explain or justify behavior or an attitude with logical reasons, even if these are not appropriate or true.”.
2. How do you use “rationalization” in a sentence?
“His claim that he only cheated because the test was unfair was a clear rationalization for his lack of preparation.”
3. What are English synonyms of “rationalization”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “rationalization”?
Derived from the Latin 'rationalis' (endowed with reason), via the French 'rationaliser'. The term evolved in the 19th century to describe the process of making something logical, and later gained a specific psychological meaning in the early 20th century, popularized by Freudian psychoanalysis to describe the defense mechanism of justifying irrational behavior.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.