rationalization

noun

ra·​tio·​nal·​i·​za·​tion ˌrash-nə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

ˌra-shə-nə-lə-

plural rationalizations

: the act, process, or result of rationalizing : a way of describing, interpreting, or explaining something (such as bad behavior) that makes it seem proper, more attractive, etc.

They're masters of high-speed sophistry and self-serving rationalizations, and they threaten one another as if the power of threats lies mainly in how elegantly expressed they are …

—Nitsuh Abebe

But that's a convenient rationalization that removes from the rest of us the onus for doing the right thing even when the wrong thing is alluring and nobody would blame you for it.

—Leonard Pitts, Jr.

People rationalize what they shun or are incapable of dealing with; these superstitions and their rationalizations become ritual as they govern behavior.

—Ralph Ellison

Importantly, these perceptions of victimhood were automatic and effortless, not belabored rationalizations.

—Kurt Gray and Chelsea Schein

Examples of rationalization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Supply chain analytics further empower decision-making with real-time data on compliance, savings tracking, SKU rationalization and benchmarking – all essential for insights that move the needle on cost control, clinical standardization and improved outcomes. —Premier Contributor, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

The fact that even Alawites declined to fight for him over the past week suggests that this rationalization of support has finally crumbled. —Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024

The key question: What does death awareness do to people? After writing about death, people tend to quickly move on, pushing thoughts of it from consciousness with distractions, rationalizations, and other tactics. —Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024

This includes adding stores, evaluating existing units and rationalization and revamping marketing to drive traffic as well as brand awareness. —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

rationalization

noun

ra·​tio·​nal·​iza·​tion

variants also British rationalisation

ˌrash-nə-lə-ˈzā-shən, -ən-ᵊl-ə- 

: the act, process, or result of rationalizing

especially : the provision of plausible reasons to explain to oneself or others behavior for which one's real motives are different and unknown or unconscious