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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

Would that all issues could be addressed so rationally and dispassionately.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 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

That is the only way that rationally, the rest of the world can regard this president.

From Slate • Nov. 3, 2025

Then she wished, more rationally, that she could love him without needing him.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.