rationalization

CEFRB2

/ˌræʃ(ə)n(ə)laɪˈzeɪʃn̩/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

01
noun
An explanation made to justify an action or decision.
02
noun
Extra detail
A statement of one's motives, or of the causes of some event.

Examples

I didn't want to hear his endless and weak rationalization.
The company underwent a major rationalization to reduce operating costs.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses: 5
Parts of speech: 1
Citations: 5
Synonyms: 3

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

The reorganization of a company or organization in order to improve its efficiency through the reallocation of resources and changes in its workforce.
The process or result of rationalizing, or expressing in rational terms.
The concealment of true motivation in some non-threatening way.

More examples

In context

The rationalization of the industry took several years to finish.
Her self-flagellating rationalization for the theft was mostly ignored by the jury.
It began with the familiar political motives of civil service rationalization and downsizing.

Quick test

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When caught cheating, he used blank to claim it was a common practice.

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Citations

The word in print, with each source given in full.

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.”
2014 October 17, Daniel W. Crofts, “What Union Soldiers Thought About the Civil War”, in The New York Times
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.
2024 September 16, Gabrielle Giffords, “Gabby Giffords: It’s the Guns. It’s Always the Guns.”, in The New York Times
For socialism involves the reconstruction of industry upon the principle of production for use. It involves the rationalization of industry, the proper adjustment of production to the social requirements.
1915 May 26, John Spargo, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, volume 59, page 160
The former, technical rationalisation, is a question of improvements carried out within businesses by the managers, methods like scientific management, the rapidity with which machinery is scrapped, the supervision of labour, by the stop-watch method or any other method, and generally what we economists have been in the habit of calling "internal economies."
1930 September 26, Ian MacGregor, “Problems of Rationalisation”, in The Economic Journal, volume 40, number 159, page 351
Rationalization includes partnership ventures, and if approved would mean capacity reductions in both sectors with thousands of steelworkers' jobs affected.
1980 December 10, “Steel industry changes sought”, in The Times, number 60798, London: News UK, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1

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Origin

noun

First attested in 1831. From French rationalisation, equivalent to rational + -ization or rationalize + -ation.

Deep Dive

noun

More examples

Related

Quick test

When caught cheating, he used blank— to claim it was a common practice.

Nearby

Origin

noun

When caught cheating, he used blank to claim it was a common practice.