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

But 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.

People rationalize what they shun or are incapable of dealing with; these superstitions and their rationalizations become ritual as they govern behavior.

—Ralph Ellison

Importantly, these perceptions of victimhood were automatic and effortless, not belabored rationalizations.

—Kurt Gray and Chelsea Schein

Examples of rationalization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Treasury secretary’s rationalization for Trump’s whims wouldn’t pass an undergrad econ exam. —Veronique De Rugy, National Review, 7 May 2025

Technology rationalization streamlines operations, eliminates redundancies and optimizes costs. —Kim Bozzella, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025

Hate and rationalization of all the provenances of brutality. —David Bezmozgis, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025

But Irwin, for one, is skeptical of this rationalization. —John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rationalization

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization

Medical Definition

rationalization

noun

ra·​tio·​nal·​iza·​tion

variants also British rationalisation

ˌrash-nə-lə-ˈzā-shən, -ən-ᵊl-ə- 

: 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