rationally

R1A1T1I1O1N1A1L1L1Y4

adverb

In a rational manner.

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 13

Meanings

adverbrationally (comparative more rationally, superlative most rationally)

comparative more rationally · superlative most rationally

  1. In a rational manner.

    The conflict is rationally resolvable either by correcting the mistaken belief or by bringing the wayward desire under rational control.

    2006, Daniel McInerny, The Difficult Good, page 134
    3 more examples

    Concerning the lenity of God, upon which you have most rationally dilated, the 10th chapt. of the 1 booke of Proclus would extreamely delight you.

    1827, Epistolary Correspondence: 4, page 43

    […] inasmuch as nothing was really and rationally to be hoped for but a long continuance of the siege and wearying out of the English, they were naturally a little afraid of Joan's impetuous notions. He said— “You see, we are sure that the waiting game is the best, whereas you would carry everything by storm.”

    1895 November, Louis de Conte, translated by [Jean François Alden] [pseudonyms; Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain)], “Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc. […]”, in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, volume XCI, number DXLVI, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →ISSN, [book I], part II, chapter 20, page 880

    Although computers are a twentieth-century invention, computationism is much older, descending from Newton's contemporary Leibniz (and, arguably, more remotely from the Pythagoreans). It holds that everything is rationally intelligible only so far as it instantiates mathematical rules and ratios. As understood by Leibniz and his followers, computationism was explicitly hostile to all versions of materialism.

    2003, The Cambridge Companion to Darwin, page 13

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite

adverbin a rational manner

Opposite

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Englishrational
  2. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
  3. Proto-Germanic*līką
  4. Englishrationally

From rational + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian рационално
  • рационално (racionalno)in a rational manner
Catalan racionalment
  • racionalmentin a rational manner
Esperanto racie
  • raciein a rational manner
Estonian ratsionaalselt
  • ratsionaalseltin a rational manner
Finnish rationaalisesti, järkevästi
  • rationaalisestiin a rational manner
  • järkevästiin a rational manner
  • järkiperäisestiin a rational manner
French rationnellement
  • rationnellementin a rational manner
Hungarian racionálisan, észszerűen
  • racionálisanin a rational manner
  • észszerűenin a rational manner
  • ésszerűenin a rational manner
Italian razionalmente
  • razionalmentein a rational manner
Polish racjonalnie
  • racjonalniein a rational manner
Portuguese racionalmente
  • racionalmentein a rational manner
Russian рациона́льно
  • рациона́льно (racionálʹno)in a rational manner
Spanish racionalmente
  • racionalmentein a rational manner
Swedish rationellt
  • rationelltin a rational manner
Ukrainian раціона́льно
  • раціона́льно (racionálʹno)in a rational manner

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

rationally. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rationally

MLA

“rationally.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rationally. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rationally,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rationally.

Source: rationally on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.