What does rationalization mean?
Rationalization is the process of giving a reason or explanation for an action, feeling, or outcome, especially when that explanation is designed to appear reasonable or convincing. It can be used in neutral contexts, such as a manager's account of a business decision, but the word often suggests that the explanation simplifies, conceals, or distorts the full truth. In psychology, rationalization describes the tendency to explain uncomfortable feelings or questionable behavior in terms that make them easier to accept. The expression post hoc rationalization refers particularly to reasoning that comes after an event and seeks to make it seem justified. Although rationalization implies the use of logic, it does not guarantee that the resulting explanation is objective, complete, or sincere.
nounAn explanation or justification based on reason, especially one that replaces a fuller or more honest explanation with a seemingly reasonable one. In psychology, it may refer to the process of creating plausible reasons for feelings or behaviors that do not fully account for them.
- An explanation or justification based on reason, especially one presented as reasonable but not fully convincing.
- The psychological process of replacing the true causes of feelings or behavior with more socially acceptable or intellectually defensible explanations.
"Her calm response was little more than a rationalization for missing the deadline."
"The company offered a rationalization for the price increase, pointing to rising costs."
"She tried to rationalize her anxiety as ordinary concern about the presentation."
The plural is used for multiple explanations or instances of providing a seemingly reasonable justification.
"The excuses were rationalizations for a decision that had already been made."
Rationalization can make an understandable action sound impressively logical, even when the logic arrives only after the decision has been made.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rationalization come from?
The word comes through French rationalisation from Latin rationalis, meaning “of or relating to reason,” a derivative of ratio, meaning “reason” or “reckoning.” In English, it developed in the sense of giving a reasoned explanation and later came to be used especially for a justification that may be incomplete or misleading. The root is shared by words such as rationale, rational, rationality, and ration.
Related word forms
How rationalization is actually used
The term can be neutral when referring to explaining a decision, but it often carries a critical connotation, suggesting that the explanation is incomplete, self-serving, or constructed after the fact.
Easily confused with rationalization
A rationale is the reason or reasoning for a decision, whereas a rationalization often emphasizes the act of supplying a plausible explanation, sometimes after the fact.
Rationalism is a philosophical position emphasizing reason as the primary source of knowledge, while rationalization is the process of making something seem reasonable or justifying it.