Standard Lemma guide

rationalization

noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌræʃ(ə)n(ə)laɪˈzeɪʃn̩/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˌræʃənəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
  • CMU ARPABET: R AE2 SH AH0 N AH0 L IH0 Z EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: R AE2 SH N AH0 L IH0 Z EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The process or result of rationalizing, or expressing in rational terms.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Some rationalization of the language of his lectures is, of course, necessary.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A statement of one's motives, or of the causes of some event.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Her self-flagellating rationalization for the theft was mostly ignored by the jury.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rationale, reasoning

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The reorganization of a company or organization in order to improve its efficiency through the reallocation of resources and changes in its workforce.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: economics, sciences

Examples

  • It began with the familiar political motives of civil service rationalization and downsizing.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: consolidation

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The concealment of true motivation in some non-threatening way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, medicine, psychiatry, psychology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The simplification of an expression without changing its value.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • Here, the rationalization of the denominator was unnecessary.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

systematic organization; the act of organizing something according to a system or a rationale

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: systematization, systematisation, rationalisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: organization, organisation

Narrower terms: codification, formalization, formalisation

7

noun

Meaning 7

the organization of a business according to scientific principles of management in order to increase efficiency

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rationalisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: organization, organisation

8

noun

Meaning 8

(mathematics) the simplification of an expression or equation by eliminating radicals without changing the value of the expression or the roots of the equation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rationalisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: simplification

9

noun

Meaning 9

the cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rationalisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: explanation

Narrower terms: raison d'etre

10

noun

Meaning 10

(psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rationalisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: defense mechanism, defense reaction, defence mechanism, defence reaction, defense, defence

History

Etymology

First attested in 1831. From French rationalisation, equivalent to rational + -ization or rationalize + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: racionalizace — process or result of rationalizing
  • Danish: rationalisering — process or result of rationalizing
  • Dutch: rationalisatie — process or result of rationalizing
  • Esperanto: raciigo — process or result of rationalizing
  • Finnish: rationaalistaminen — process or result of rationalizing
  • Finnish: järkiperäistäminen — process or result of rationalizing
  • Finnish: rationalisointi — process or result of rationalizing
  • Finnish: järkeily — process or result of rationalizing
  • Finnish: päättely — process or result of rationalizing
  • French: rationalisation — process or result of rationalizing
  • German: Rationalisierung — process or result of rationalizing
  • Hungarian: észszerűsítés — process or result of rationalizing
  • Hungarian: racionalizálás — process or result of rationalizing
  • Italian: razionalizzazione — process or result of rationalizing
  • Norwegian: rasjonalisering — process or result of rationalizing
  • Occitan: racionalizacion — process or result of rationalizing
  • Polish: racjonalizacja — process or result of rationalizing
  • Portuguese: racionalização — process or result of rationalizing
  • Russian: рационализа́ция (racionalizácija) — process or result of rationalizing
  • Slovak: racionalizácia — process or result of rationalizing
  • Spanish: racionalización — process or result of rationalizing
  • Swedish: rationalisering — process or result of rationalizing
  • Turkish: rasyonalizasyon — process or result of rationalizing
  • Turkish: rasyonelleştirme — process or result of rationalizing
  • Ukrainian: раціоналізація (racionalizacija) — process or result of rationalizing
  • Welsh: rhesymoliad — process or result of rationalizing
  • Finnish: perustelu — statement of one's motives
  • French: rationalisation — statement of one's motives
  • Bulgarian: рационализация (racionalizacija) — reorganization of a company
  • Czech: racionalizace — reorganization of a company
  • Finnish: järkeistäminen — reorganization of a company
  • Finnish: rationalisointi — reorganization of a company
  • Finnish: tehostaminen — reorganization of a company
  • French: rationalisation — reorganization of a company
  • Indonesian: rasionalisasi — reorganization of a company
  • Slovak: racionalizácia — reorganization of a company
  • Czech: racionalizace — concealment of true motivation
  • Dutch: rationalisatie — concealment of true motivation
  • Finnish: rationaalistaminen — concealment of true motivation
  • Hungarian: megideologizálás — concealment of true motivation
  • Indonesian: rasionalisasi — concealment of true motivation
  • Slovak: racionalizácia — concealment of true motivation
  • Finnish: sieventäminen — simplification of a mathematical expression
  • French: rationalisation — simplification of a mathematical expression