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
Byrne explains Bornstein’s rationale behind that.
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration withdrew a proposal to require speed-limiting devices on heavy trucks, saying the rule lacked a compelling safety rationale.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2025
The rationale for using the familiar rating is to help parents and kids understand what is being limited by the platform.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Tom Werner | Getty Investors shifted their 401(k) plan allocations away from stocks to bonds and cash in September, according to an analysis by Alight, a retirement plan administrator — a behavior that could be financially perilous, depending on their rationale.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration withdrew a proposal to require speed-limiting devices on heavy trucks, saying the rule lacked a compelling safety rationale.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2025
The rationale for using the familiar rating is to help parents and kids understand what is being limited by the platform.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Tom Werner | Getty Investors shifted their 401(k) plan allocations away from stocks to bonds and cash in September, according to an analysis by Alight, a retirement plan administrator — a behavior that could be financially perilous, depending on their rationale.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationale
Noun
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But the idea that Earhart ended up an island castaway is far from widely accepted, and another team of researchers is racing to close in on proof of an alternate explanation.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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Scientists researched the phenomenon for decades without finding a logical explanation.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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During the tour for the band's previous album, We, singer Feist dropped out of the lineup as the opening act, citing the accusations against Butler as the reason for her departure.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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There are many reasons to want to preserve or rebuild oyster reefs, researchers say.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Whether the arguments brought by Whalen and Fuentes have traction will now be decided by an arbitrator, not a judge.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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Robinson rejected Towers’ arguments that the settlements were invalid due to mutual mistake or missing formal signatures.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rationale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationale. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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