Rationalize

Rationalize

Verb · /ˈræʃənəlaɪz/ · to justify with reasons; to reorganise for efficiency; to explain away

Definition

To rationalize has three distinct but related senses. First, to provide logical reasons for a decision or action — often implying that the reasons are constructed after the fact to justify what was already decided by emotion or impulse. Second, in business, to reorganise a company, system, or process to make it more efficient — typically by cutting waste or reducing headcount. Third, in mathematics, to eliminate irrational numbers from an expression, for example by rationalizing the denominator of a fraction. All three senses share the root idea: making something conform to reason, or at least making it appear to.

Origin

From Latin rationalis (rational) plus the suffix -ize, meaning to make or to cause to become. The word has been in English since the early 19th century. The psychological sense — constructing post-hoc justifications — was given precise definition by Sigmund Freud, who identified rationalisation as a key defence mechanism. The business sense emerged in the 20th century through management and industrial economics.