rationalization

noun

Definition of rationalizationnext
as in rationale

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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 rationalization The rationalization is that residents are struggling and need help paying for food, electricity and gasoline. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 May 2026 That may have been persuasive to some partners before, but this administration’s penchant for both threats and use of force has fatally undermined the credibility of that rationalization. — Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2026 Although the Mughals mainly incorporated the existing Indian revenue system, Akbar’s reign also saw the rationalization of revenue administration, notably under the Hindu minister Todar Mal, with systematic land measurement and assessment that balanced imperial income with agrarian stability. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026 On the Waterfront is, of course, a legendary film, but today it is considered by many to be a rationalization for Kazan collaborating with HUAC, not just a good crime picture with Marlon Brando. — Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rationalization
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalization
  1. rationale
  2. pretext
  3. explanation
  4. accounting
  5. pretense
  6. guise
  7. justification
  8. argument
Noun
  • Recent concerns regarding the war's impact on shipping and construction timelines were addressed by Disney's CFO, who reaffirmed full commitment, citing the project's long-term view and strategic rationale.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • For something which has no rationale in science, which is somehow breaking it into three is better for the child.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of rationale
Noun
  • In its third season, and especially in the finale’s final moments, the series finally drops that pretext.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • In doing so, the judge said the subpoenas were merely a pretext to pressure Powell to lower interest rates.
    — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of pretext
Noun
  • Luigi Mangione is due in federal court today after both parties hastily called for an appearance earlier this week without any clear explanation.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The same explanation has been offered as to why Riyadh Air, or another PIF company, does not just pour money into Newcastle through sponsorship deals.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of explanation
Noun
  • Anthropic is working with a carbon accounting and emissions disclosure platform, Watershed, to measure its company-wide footprint and to comply with the reporting requirements under the law, according to a company spokesperson.
    — Olivia Raimonde, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The investigations, according to The Wall Street Journal, started with a whistleblower complaint about accounting, but have spread to focus on investment in private credit, a lending business that helped finance Guggenheim’s Dodgers purchase.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of accounting
Noun
  • Holden eagerly rebels against Pencey Prep, gets the boot, and flees to New York City, a place with its own vices and hazards, but without the sort of propaganda and pretense that obscure the school’s dark underside.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Johnson created the story of Nancy (Emilia Jones), who is not a girlfriend, but a crush who Bourdain foolhardily (and under false pretenses) follows to Provincetown after not getting a writing fellowship.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of pretense
Noun
  • Somewhere between a sandal and a ballet flat, caged silhouettes come in all manner of guises.
    — Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
  • Everything from the division of the Peaches and the Plums to Shamea’s tagline this season is a secret cry from Shamea to Porsha, begging for attention under the guise of her own emancipation.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of guise
Noun
  • Twitch had a simple justification for letting its parent company, Amazon, use streamers’ content to train generative AI by default.
    — Angela Yang, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Additionally, searches using Flock’s system will now require search justification by requiring case codes for all law enforcement searches with an exemption for emergency searches, which will still be reviewed.
    — Joel Feder, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of justification
Noun
  • According to Ian Weinstein, a defense lawyer and professor at Fordham School of Law, the specific charges at issue will determine the success of a double jeopardy argument.
    — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • In January, prosecutors filed a response opposing the motion, Kestou filed a brief in support of it, and the court heard arguments from both parties, court documents said.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of argument

Browse Nearby Words

rationality
rationalization
rationalizations
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Cite this Entry

“Rationalization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalization. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of rationalization for Spanish Speakers

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