1
as in intelligent
having the ability to reason
human beings are rational creatures
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in logical
according to the rules of logic
insisted there was a rational explanation for the strange creaking noises and that there were no such things as ghosts
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reasonable
based on sound reasoning or information
betting all of your savings on the lottery is not a rational move
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rational
His post sparked hundreds of comments debating whether this behavior reflected irresponsibility or a rational shift in spending priorities.
—
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Trapped by societal constraints of family, duty and social expectations, their love can only survive in memory and on stage, forcing a heartbreakingly rational farewell.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
So there’s no rational reason to make long term deals with the United States anymore, or count on them in any way, shape or form.
—Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
Mass death, yes, but rational mass death.
—Paul Kingsnorth, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rational
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Trapped by societal constraints of family, duty and social expectations, their love can only survive in memory and on stage, forcing a heartbreakingly rational farewell.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
So there’s no rational reason to make long term deals with the United States anymore, or count on them in any way, shape or form.
—Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
Mass death, yes, but rational mass death.
—Paul Kingsnorth, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rational
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rational
Adjective
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The company’s mission is to eliminate design errors and accelerate innovation through intelligent automation.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
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His modernization was both intelligent and beautiful, rooted in Coco’s own starting point — menswear codes and techniques.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Daniel Jones’ success is becoming less of a novelty and more of a logical endpoint in Shane Steichen’s rhythmic system.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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In Doctorow’s reading of 21st century tech, AI is the trend's logical, dangerous endpoint.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Jones is signed for another five seasons at a $7 million cap hit that is only going to get more reasonable as the cap continues to rise.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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So, spending your free time on a massive project for your crush seems perfectly reasonable.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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After a shake-up in the leadership of her controversial conservatorship, fans began to grow concerned for the musician who virtually disappeared from public life, but started frequently posting dancing videos to her Instagram, often with wild, semi-coherent captions.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
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What once held the promise of innovation in the arts—an AI that could generate art, compose music or write coherent, even beautiful, prose—has begun to feel more like saturation.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Deliberative democracy is the idea that decision-making and governance are arrived at through thoughtful, reasoned and respectful dialogue.—
Lee Bebout,
The Conversation,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Nibert loved the free-thinking spirit of the village and its college.—
Keith BieryGolick,
Cincinnati.com,
28 Aug. 2019
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Credit Gus Malzahn for being proactive and thinking long-term in choosing his starting quarterback.—
Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com,
al,
22 Aug. 2019
Adjective
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According to the Nobel Foundation’s statutes, only individuals in specific professional or institutional roles are authorized to submit valid nominations.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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Her words reminded me that processing loss is valid and necessary, and that grief can coexist with intentional reflection and recalibration.—
Essence,
Essence,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Even sensible yet fashionable sneakers are on sale, with the New Balance T500 Tennis Sneakers making an unbeatable selection for $80.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Oct. 2025
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The next manager will be their sixth in nine seasons — enough for any sensible person to know that the problem extends far beyond that chair.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rational. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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