Main Entry: ra·tio·nal·ism

Pronunciation: \ˈrash-nə-ˌli-zəm, ˈra-shə-nə-ˌli-\

Function: noun

Date: 1827

1 : reliance on reason as the basis for establishment of religious truth
2 a : a theory that reason is in itself a source of knowledge superior to and independent of sense perceptions b : a view that reason and experience rather than the nonrational are the fundamental criteria in the solution of problems
3 : functionalism 2

— ra·tio·nal·ist \-nə-list\ noun

— rationalist or ra·tio·nal·is·tic \ˌrash-nə-ˈlis-tik, ˌra-shə-nə-ˈlis-\ adjective

— ra·tio·nal·is·ti·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb