RATIONALISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does rationalise mean? 

• RATIONALISE (verb)
  The verb RATIONALISE has 5 senses:

1. structure and run according to rational or scientific principles in order to achieve desired results

2. defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning

3. think rationally; employ logic or reason

4. remove irrational quantities from

5. weed out unwanted or unnecessary things

  Familiarity information: RATIONALISE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RATIONALISE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they rationalise    ... he / she / it rationalises   
Past simple: rationalised   
Past participle: rationalised   
-ing form: rationalising   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Structure and run according to rational or scientific principles in order to achieve desired results

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

rationalise; rationalize

Context example:

We rationalized the factory's production and raised profits

Hypernyms (to "rationalise" is one way to...):

organise; organize (cause to be structured or ordered or operating according to some principle or idea)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

rationalisation (the organization of a business according to scientific principles of management in order to increase efficiency)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

apologise; apologize; excuse; rationalise; rationalize

Context example:

he rationalized his lack of success

Hypernyms (to "rationalise" is one way to...):

defend; fend for; support (argue or speak in defense of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "rationalise"):

color; colour; gloss (give a deceptive explanation or excuse for)

plead (offer as an excuse or plea)

extenuate; mitigate; palliate (lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

rationalisation (the cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Think rationally; employ logic or reason

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

rationalise; rationalize

Context example:

When one wonders why one is doing certain things, one should rationalize

Hypernyms (to "rationalise" is one way to...):

cerebrate; cogitate; think (use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

rationalisation (systematic organization; the act of organizing something according to a system or a rationale)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Remove irrational quantities from

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

rationalise; rationalize

Context example:

This function can be rationalized

Hypernyms (to "rationalise" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Domain category:

math; mathematics; maths (a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

rationalisation ((mathematics) the simplification of an expression or equation by eliminating radicals without changing the value of the expression or the roots of the equation)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Weed out unwanted or unnecessary things

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

cut; prune; rationalise; rationalize

Context example:

We had to lose weight, so we cut the sugar from our diet

Hypernyms (to "rationalise" is one way to...):

do away with; eliminate; extinguish; get rid of (terminate, end, or take out)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something