as in explanation
a statement given to explain a belief or act
the rationale for starting the school day an hour later is that kids will supposedly get an extra hour of sleep
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rationale
The article lays out a new framework for approving seasonal COVID-19 vaccines, as well as a rationale for the change—which was made without input from independent advisory committees for the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2025
The rationale from Moody’s echoed familiar concerns: persistent large fiscal deficits, rising entitlement spending and limited political will to rein in debt.
—John Buckingham, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Explaining its rationale for lowering its credit rating on the United States for the first time since 1917, Moody’s cited ballooning US debt levels and Washington’s intransigence over budget deficit solutions.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Comfortable dress shoes are a worthwhile gamble, accenting the tone of the outfit with the rationale of a day spent walking around (sometimes through mud).
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2025
The rationale from Moody’s echoed familiar concerns: persistent large fiscal deficits, rising entitlement spending and limited political will to rein in debt.
—John Buckingham, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Explaining its rationale for lowering its credit rating on the United States for the first time since 1917, Moody’s cited ballooning US debt levels and Washington’s intransigence over budget deficit solutions.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Comfortable dress shoes are a worthwhile gamble, accenting the tone of the outfit with the rationale of a day spent walking around (sometimes through mud).
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationale
Noun
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The new study, published this month in Psychological Science, offers one explanation about this phenomenon.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
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One possible explanation is that these jobs require frequent, real-time use of spatial and navigational skills, which may help maintain or even improve hippocampal health.—
Dr. Baibing Chen,
CNBC,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Or maybe, for a million reasons, your recent expectations of how family life should be are not aligned with reality.—
Denise Snodell,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2025
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Martino abruptly resigned due to personal reasons and Miami hired Messi’s long-time friend and former Barcelona and Argentina team-mate Javier Mascherano as head coach.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Trump has made similar arguments, suggesting that even Biden’s more extreme policies, such as on immigration and the border, may have been imposed by others.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
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But Circuit Judge John Jordan issued an 18-page decision that rejected the arguments.—
News Service Of Florida,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rationale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationale. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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