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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of rationale
Whistleblowers suggest that senior officials at the department intentionally coordinated a plan to keep the error rate high, with a perverse rationale.
—
Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2026
Like it or not, this is Boras’ rationale for wanting seven years for Bellinger, an idea the Yankees continue to resist.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Zay cites the sandwich's cultural significance, role in tourism, and positive impact on the state's pork industry as rationale for the designation.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 8 Jan. 2026
The rationale for not shooting at moving vehicles Prioritizing the protection of life doesn’t rule out deadly force.
—Ben Jones, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2026
Like it or not, this is Boras’ rationale for wanting seven years for Bellinger, an idea the Yankees continue to resist.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Zay cites the sandwich's cultural significance, role in tourism, and positive impact on the state's pork industry as rationale for the designation.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 8 Jan. 2026
The rationale for not shooting at moving vehicles Prioritizing the protection of life doesn’t rule out deadly force.
—Ben Jones, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationale
Noun
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Certainly not satisfied with official explanations of how this came to pass.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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Tyler went on in her response to provide explanations for each of the violations OCPF auditors noted in the disposition.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And there was no reason to change it.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
21 Jan. 2026
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And so there's no reason to expect that to be different in this scenario, too.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Kathleen Hartnett of Cooley LLP, one of the groups that filed the lawsuit, will present arguments on behalf of Hecox, the American Civil Liberties Union told the Statesman.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Jan. 2026
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The two attorneys made a slew of arguments to defend their position, including that the pair of lawmakers did not have legal standing to bring a suit related to their official duties in the first place.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rationale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationale. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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