rationalization.

1. An explanation that makes a decision or belief seem reasonable while concealing or overlooking its actual motives or weaknesses.

2. The restructuring of activities or facilities to reduce duplication or improve efficiency.

3. The rewriting of an equivalent mathematical expression so that its denominator contains no radical expression.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• retrospective rationalization
• rationalization of a decision

On the page

The explanation became a rationalization when it ignored evidence the speaker had accepted in other contexts.

She questioned whether caution was her reason or a rationalization for avoiding the conversation.

Usage notes

Primary category: psychology / character / human behavior. Forms: Singular rationalization; plural rationalizations. Organizational and mathematical process uses are often uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: characterization, motivation, interpersonal behavior, self-evaluation. Disciplines: psychology, human behavior, character writing. Commonness: moderately common.