rationalization
/ˌræʃənəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.71 in modern English
24
Scrabble Score
15
Letters
6
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The process or result of rationalizing, or expressing in rational terms.
Archaic; Countable; Uncountable
noun
The reorganization of a company or organization in order to improve its efficiency through the reallocation of resources and changes in its workforce.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Some rationalization of the language of his lectures is, of course, necessary."
- "[…] a distrust of cut-and-dried formulas and a conviction that Marxism is not a 'final', self-sufficient rationalization and schematization of history, but rather a collection of pointers to the understanding of human affairs […]"
- "Her self-flagellating rationalization for the theft was mostly ignored by the jury."
- "But, he insisted, he was neither a “Union Saver” nor a “freedom shrieker.” He rejected all high-flown rationalizations for the war effort — “to hell with the devilish twaddle about freedom.”"
- "After every shooting, blame and rationalizations fly. I know, because I was shot in the head at a 2011 congressional event near my home in Tucson, Ariz. Eighteen other people were shot at that event, six of whom died."
- "It began with the familiar political motives of civil service rationalization and downsizing."
Etymology
First attested in 1831. From French rationalisation, equivalent to rational + -ization or rationalize + -ation.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌræʃənəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
- British English: /ˌræʃ(ə)n(ə)laɪˈzeɪʃn̩/