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
Relevance
Example Sentences
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 rationale
In the meantime, Haiti observers have watched contradictory measures by the Trump administration, which recently used Haiti’s ongoing gang violence as a rationale for ending immigration protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status.
—
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 July 2025
Trump has cited national security interests and too much reliance on foreign importers as rationale for his administration's tariffs.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Enlightenment ideas studied in 18th-century universities provided the rationale for independence from Great Britain in 1776.
—Time, 1 July 2025
The 6-3 decision did not specify a legal rationale for the ruling.
—Eleanor Paynter, The Conversation, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 July 2025
Trump has cited national security interests and too much reliance on foreign importers as rationale for his administration's tariffs.
—Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Enlightenment ideas studied in 18th-century universities provided the rationale for independence from Great Britain in 1776.
—Time, 1 July 2025
The 6-3 decision did not specify a legal rationale for the ruling.
—Eleanor Paynter, The Conversation, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationale
Noun
-
And in practice, the explanation doesn’t need to be technical.—
Shiva Chandrashekher,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
However, on May 2, the NSF, under the direction of the Trump administration, abruptly terminated our grant without explanation.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Hval did not share a specific reason for the cancellation.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
1 July 2025
-
For some reason, this album has people relating to it in a grieving way.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
The murder trial was set to begin next month, starting with jury selection on Aug. 4, and opening arguments two weeks later.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
1 July 2025
-
That argument has caught the attention of the Trump administration.—
Daniel Ackerman,
NPR,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rationale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationale. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share