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
The senators requested Altman answer five questions by the end of the month about the rationale for his contributions and whether OpenAI’s board or shareholders were informed about his plans.
—
Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025
Promises unmet The rationale for this new approach was simple enough: The previous consensus — the neoliberal order, in Gerstle’s terms — failed to deliver on its promises.
—David Leonhardt, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Tepper, a hands-on businessman who is a hedge fund billionaire, is the sort of owner who wants to talk to his decision-makers to understand their rationale and to sometimes challenge it.
—Charlotte Observer, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2025
Mara’s rationale for retaining both his GM and coach, meanwhile, was mind-numbing confirmation that the Giants no longer have any real standards.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rationale 
Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2025
Promises unmet The rationale for this new approach was simple enough: The previous consensus — the neoliberal order, in Gerstle’s terms — failed to deliver on its promises.
—David Leonhardt, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Tepper, a hands-on businessman who is a hedge fund billionaire, is the sort of owner who wants to talk to his decision-makers to understand their rationale and to sometimes challenge it.
—Charlotte Observer, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2025
Mara’s rationale for retaining both his GM and coach, meanwhile, was mind-numbing confirmation that the Giants no longer have any real standards.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rationale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationale
Noun
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Lynch leaves behind a body of work that defies explanation yet demands exploration, ensuring audiences will return to them again and again, captivated and confounded.—
Darryn King,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
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There were no noted dissents, although Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch gave their own explanations for why the law should be upheld.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA TODAY,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The reason for the delay, says Goswell, was due to Lush’s lack of experience with electronics.—
Victoria Turk,
WIRED,
26 Jan. 2025
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One reason for this is that the series was shot on the streets of New York, unusual at the time.—
Glynnis MacNicol,
Rolling Stone,
26 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Prosecutors have accused Mayers of shooting Terrell Ephron, a.k.a. ASAP Relli, on a Hollywood street corner after a heated argument on Nov. 6, 2021.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2025
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Shyne makes a forceful argument through just letting the audience be absorbed with a way of life.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
25 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near rationale
Cite this Entry
“Rationale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationale. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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