Meanings
plural rationalisations
- UKcountablenonstandarduncountableNon-Oxford British English standard spelling of rationalization.
The conscious mind refuses to admit any failure to perceive, and puts in its place a series of rationalisations which are fabrications and distortions of the real nature of things.
1999 July 9, Bernard Burgoyne, “The Mind”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 09 Nov 20241 more example
My trip along the rest of the line is delightful. It's yet another route that has recovered from previous rationalisation by having tracks and platforms reinstated in recent years.
2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 67
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening
nounthe cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason
noun(mathematics) the simplification of an expression or equation by eliminating radicals without changing the value of the expression or the roots of the equation
nounthe organization of a business according to scientific principles of management in order to increase efficiency
nounsystematic organization; the act of organizing something according to a system or a rationale
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchrationalisation
- Englishrationalisation
Borrowed from French rationalisation, equivalent to rational + -isation or rationalise + -ation.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
rationalisation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rationalisation
“rationalisation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rationalisation. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rationalisation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rationalisation.
Source: rationalisation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.