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
This connection helps form a proactive trust, where leaders openly share their thoughts, decisions and rationale with employees in a very inclusive way, with humility and passion.
—
Edward Deangelis, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Reyes said the Defense Department offered no real evidence to back up the new policy − and, in fact, provided less rationale for the policy than the administration gave for Trump’s executive order to end the use of paper straws.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
The Trump administration has not given an official rationale for its firings.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
One of the Kremlin’s rationales for the war was that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s election was illegitimate.
—Lauren Kent, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationale
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Edward Deangelis, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Reyes said the Defense Department offered no real evidence to back up the new policy − and, in fact, provided less rationale for the policy than the administration gave for Trump’s executive order to end the use of paper straws.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
The Trump administration has not given an official rationale for its firings.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
One of the Kremlin’s rationales for the war was that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s election was illegitimate.
—Lauren Kent, CNN, 14 Mar. 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 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rationale
noun
ra·tio·nale
ˌrash-ə-ˈnal
: a basic reason or explanation for something
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