rationalization
noun
ra·tio·nal·i·za·tion
ˌrash-nə-lə-ˈzā-shən 
ˌra-shə-nə-lə-
plural rationalizations
: the act, process, or result of rationalizing : a way of describing, interpreting, or explaining something (such as bad behavior) that makes it seem proper, more attractive, etc.
They're masters of high-speed sophistry and self-serving rationalizations, and they threaten one another as if the power of threats lies mainly in how elegantly expressed they are …—
Nitsuh Abebe
Nitsuh AbebeBut that's a convenient rationalization that removes from the rest of us the onus for doing the right thing even when the wrong thing is alluring and nobody would blame you for it.—Leonard Pitts, Jr.
Leonard Pitts, Jr.People rationalize what they shun or are incapable of dealing with; these superstitions and their rationalizations become ritual as they govern behavior.—Ralph Ellison
Ralph EllisonImportantly, these perceptions of victimhood were automatic and effortless, not belabored rationalizations.—Kurt Gray and Chelsea Schein
Kurt Gray and Chelsea ScheinExamples of rationalization in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There has been a lot of finger pointing, blame and rationalization from all sides, but the silver lining for travelers is that with Vegas visitation down, whatever the reasons, the city is starting to roll out travel deals, even on the Strip, were hotels have been resistant to package discounts.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
In the first half of the year, Gucci trimmed its store count by 18 units, as part of a broader retail rationalization process implemented by Kering across its brands, which will see a total of 80 store closures in 2025, up from the 50 announced at the start of the year.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 5 Aug. 2025
The problem isn’t necessarily the rationalizations and justifications.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2025
Under the ordinary pressures of daily life in bad circumstances, imagination and an informed sense of history can become tools for rationalization.
—Robert Pinsky, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationalization
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Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
In the first half of the year, Gucci trimmed its store count by 18 units, as part of a broader retail rationalization process implemented by Kering across its brands, which will see a total of 80 store closures in 2025, up from the 50 announced at the start of the year.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 5 Aug. 2025
The problem isn’t necessarily the rationalizations and justifications.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2025
Under the ordinary pressures of daily life in bad circumstances, imagination and an informed sense of history can become tools for rationalization.
—Robert Pinsky, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationalization
Cite this Entry
“Rationalization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rationalization. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
rationalization
noun
ra·tio·nal·iza·tion
variants
also British rationalisation
: the act, process, or result of rationalizing
especially
: the provision of plausible reasons to explain to oneself or others behavior for which one's real motives are different and unknown or unconscious
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