Rationalization (Noun)
Meaning 1
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
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Meaning 2
Systematic organization; the act of organizing something according to a system or a rationale.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
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Meaning 3
The cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The politician's speech was full of rationalization for the recent tax hike, attempting to convince the public that it was necessary for the country's economic growth.
- After getting caught cheating on the test, the student tried to use rationalization to justify his actions, claiming that everyone else was doing it too.
- The company's decision to downsize was met with resistance from employees, who saw it as a rationalization for the executives' own failures in managing the business.
- The smoker's claim that smoking was not addictive was a classic example of rationalization, as he was trying to convince himself and others that his habit was not a problem.
- The government's rationalization for invading the neighboring country was that it was necessary to protect its own citizens, but many critics saw it as a thinly veiled excuse for expansionism.
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Meaning 4
The organization of a business according to scientific principles of management in order to increase efficiency.
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Nouns denoting acts or actions.
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Meaning 5
(mathematics) the simplification of an expression or equation by eliminating radicals without changing the value of the expression or the roots of the equation.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.