rationale
noun
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If someone asserts that the word rationale refers to a ration of ale, they are wrong, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have an actual rationale (a reason, explanation, or basis) for such a claim. “Rationale looks like the words ration and ale jammed together,” they could offer, and while that is true you’d be justified in responding: “Appearances can be deceiving.” Rationale is a direct borrowing of the Latin word rationale, with which it shares the meaning “an explanation of controlling principles of opinion, belief, practice, or phenomena.” The Latin rationale comes from a form of the adjective rationalis (“rational”), which traces back to the noun ratio, meaning “reason.” While the Latin ratio is also the forebear of the English noun ration, referring to a share of something, rationale has nothing to do with a tankard (or stein, or even a pony) of beer.
Examples of rationale in a Sentence
Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Councilmember Carroll Fife, meanwhile, shares Houston’s rationale that voters should be allowed a say despite her own misgivings about centralizing power in a single individual.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
In many cases, the drug framing is an explicit rationale for action.
—Michelle D. Paranzino, The Conversation, 11 June 2026
This long-suffering Knicks fan said his rationale for including the prognostication may have had more to do with rhyming than any actual belief.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Cite this Entry
“Rationale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rationale. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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rationale
noun
