as in explanation
a statement given to explain a belief or act
the rationale for starting the school day an hour later is that kids will supposedly get an extra hour of sleep
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rationale
This story made the most sense to me, and for the next forty years his death became the rationale and justification for my Vietnam War obsession.
—
Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Desert Warrior had a very specific strategic rationale for broadcaster MBC.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 May 2026
There are at least two other flaws with this rationale for a wealth tax.
—Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 13 May 2026
That leads us to the other bet that seems to be serving as Pritchard’s rationale.
—Jay King, New York Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Desert Warrior had a very specific strategic rationale for broadcaster MBC.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 May 2026
There are at least two other flaws with this rationale for a wealth tax.
—Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 13 May 2026
That leads us to the other bet that seems to be serving as Pritchard’s rationale.
—Jay King, New York Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationale
Noun
-
Professional commentators tended to see these developments in so many local terms—turning, for their explanations, to national histories, cultures and institutions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Arthur was taken back to the doctor two additional times in the ensuing weeks and was given various explanations about his condition, including asthma and even anxiety.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
For this reason, the tent was constructed in such a way that the crowd could see and hear the girls, but the girls could not see the crowd, a one-way mirror.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
Food and drink The food and beverages are reason alone to come here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The argument for keeping an underperforming manager tends to centre on whether there were enough mitigating circumstances behind a bad season, and whether the club can use their summer to make the correct changes in player recruitment and wider infrastructure to fix things.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
This abrupt stylistic shift is in service of an overtly political argument.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rationale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationale. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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