Meaning & use

rationale

noun·Academic

The set of reasons or logical basis given for a decision, belief, or course of action.

See it in a sentence

The manager explained the rationale behind the new scheduling policy at the staff meeting.

Her rationale for choosing that university was its strong research program in biology.

A note on using this word

Rationale refers to the explanation behind a decision, distinct from 'reason,' which can refer to a single cause among several.

Words with a similar meaning

reasoningjustificationbasis

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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