NONRATIONAL Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

nonrational

adjective

ˌnän-ˈrash-nəl

Definition of nonrational

as in irrational

not using or following good reasoning was so upset that he was completely nonrational for a moment

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of nonrational Mid-century collective behavior theories considered social movements to be nonrational, spontaneous events occurring during moments of social and cultural breakdown. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonrational

Adjective

Between restructuring waves, automation fears and flattening hierarchies, that concern isn’t always irrational.

— Jonathan H. Westover, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
The fact, in other words, that there often isn’t a right answer or a clear victor—and that rational people are subject to irrational forces within and above them.

— Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of irrational

Adjective

But in each event—in the living act, the undoubted deed—there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Roosevelt surely understood that nameless, unreasoning, unjustified fear cannot be eradicated.

— New York Times, New York Times, 9 June 2026

Definition of unreasoning

Adjective

But several individually reasonable events, viewed together and over time, can tell an unreasonable story.

— Shahen Minasyan, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
At the outset of the Biden administration in January 2021, NASA was still targeting a 2024 lunar landing, even though this was widely seen as unreasonable.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of unreasonable

Adjective

None of that is illegitimate, and none of it shows up on a data-residency dashboard.

— Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
The researchers suspect that others were created by AI that either hallucinated or, just like the AI agents browsing their file, couldn’t distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate instructions.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of illegitimate

Browse Nearby Words

nonrandom

nonrational

nonrealistic

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“Nonrational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonrational. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of nonrational

adjective

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