Meanings
present singular third person rationalises · participle present rationalising · participle past rationalised · past rationalised · alternative British English Oxford US rationalize
- UKnonstandardNon-Oxford British English standard spelling of rationalize.
The eastern bore became disused in 1972-73, when its rails were lifted as part of a British Rail scheme to rationalise trackwork in and around King's Cross.
2020 June 17, “Gasworks Tunnel”, in Rail, page 36
Synonyms & antonyms
verbstructure and run according to rational or scientific principles in order to achieve desired results
verbdefend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
verbweed out unwanted or unnecessary things
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchrationaliser
- Englishrationalise
From French rationaliser. By surface analysis, rational + -ise.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
rationalise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rationalise
“rationalise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rationalise. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rationalise,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rationalise.
Source: rationalise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.