rationalization

[ rash-uh-nl-ahy-zey-shuhn, rash-nl- ]

noun

1. the act or process of ascribing one’s actions, opinions, etc., to causes that seem reasonable and valid but are actually unrelated to the true, possibly unconscious and often less complimentary ones:

   Those who torture prisoners believe, in their loftiest rationalizations, that they are committing their deeds for the good of the nation.

2. the act or process of making something conformable to reason or to the principle that reason is the highest authority for truth:

   In conceiving the world as a Newtonian universe governed by natural laws, Taylor provided the conceptual framework for the rationalization of the world in the 20th century.

3. Chiefly British. the act or process of reorganizing and integrating an industry, company, etc., to make it more efficient and profitable:

   The film studios were able to achieve such remarkable production figures through a rationalization of their working practices.

4. Mathematics. the act or process of eliminating radicals from an equation or expression:

   Rationalization will make calculation easier, as the denominator will now be an integer instead of a radical.

Other Words From

• non·ra·tion·al·i·za·tion especially British, non·ra·tion·al·i·sa·tion noun
• o·ver·ra·tion·al·i·za·tion especially British, o·ver·ra·tion·al·i·sa·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rationalization¹

rationaliz(e) ( def ) + -ation ( def )

Example Sentences

But there are two problems with those Trump voters’ self-comforting rationalizations.

From Los Angeles Times

His glib lies and rationalizations don't confuse most people on this front.

From Salon

Domestic terrorists are generally people — mostly men — who are lost souls that glom onto half-baked political rationalizations.

From Salon

Throughout the book, Weaver personifies anxiety as an entity with worries, fears and rationalizations.

From Seattle Times

AI technologies like The Gospel function more as a tool for “post-hoc rationalization of mass killing and destruction rather than promoting 'precision,'” Moses said.

From Salon

Related Words

• justification
• rationale