rationale
noun
ra·tio·nale
ˌra-shə-ˈnal 
1
: an explanation of controlling principles of opinion, belief, practice, or phenomena
2
: an underlying reason : basis
Did you know?
Rationale comes from Latin ratio, meaning "reason," and rationalis, "endowed with reason." Ratio is reasonably familiar as an English word for the relationship (in number, quantity, or degree) between things.
Examples of rationale in a Sentence
the rationale for starting the school day an hour later is that kids will supposedly get an extra hour of sleep
Recent Examples on the Web
But legal scholars who found the rationales unconvincing said there is no principled reason for treating the Fed differently than the labor boards under a series of Supreme Court rulings that have upheld for-cause protections for certain agencies.
—
John Kruzel, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
Some of those policies have earned the president rebukes from judges questioning the rationale for his unilateral immigration policy.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2025
The rationale for that is while Tkachuk’s hit on Guentzel was late, Guentzel had played the puck prior to the hit (unlike Barkov when he was hit by Hagel) and there was no contact with the head.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2025
Here are four reasons to steer clear of of the car rental company’s shares:
Ackman’s rationale for his $30 a share price target appears shaky.
—Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationale
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John Kruzel, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
Some of those policies have earned the president rebukes from judges questioning the rationale for his unilateral immigration policy.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2025
The rationale for that is while Tkachuk’s hit on Guentzel was late, Guentzel had played the puck prior to the hit (unlike Barkov when he was hit by Hagel) and there was no contact with the head.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2025
Here are four reasons to steer clear of of the car rental company’s shares:
Ackman’s rationale for his $30 a share price target appears shaky.
—Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Cite this Entry
“Rationale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rationale. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rationale
noun
ra·tio·nale
ˌrash-ə-ˈnal
: a basic reason or explanation for something
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