rationalize

Verbs

  • (v) defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
    • rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior
    • he rationalized his lack of success
    apologise, apologize, rationalise, justify, excuse,
  • (v) weed out unwanted or unnecessary things
    • We had to lose weight, so we cut the sugar from our diet
    prune, rationalise, cut,
  • (v) structure and run according to rational or scientific principles in order to achieve desired results
    • We rationalized the factory's production and raised profits
    rationalise,
  • (v) think rationally; employ logic or reason
    • When one wonders why one is doing certain things, one should rationalize
    rationalise,
  • (v) remove irrational quantities from
    • This function can be rationalized
    rationalise,

Synonyms

apologise apologize rationalise justify excuse prune cut

See also

curtail restrict curb cut back cut down reduce trim back trim down cut trim bring down cut out

Words of close approximity

rationalise rationalism rationalist rationality
rationalize away