Rationalize (Verb)
Meaning 1
Weed out unwanted or unnecessary things; "We had to lose weight, so we cut the sugar from our diet".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- To rationalize the company's operations, management decided to lay off several underperforming employees.
- The chef had to rationalize her menu, cutting out unpopular dishes to focus on crowd favorites.
- After moving into a smaller apartment, she had to rationalize her belongings, donating or selling items she no longer needed.
- The team was tasked with rationalizing the project budget, eliminating unnecessary expenses to meet their deadline.
- To achieve her fitness goals, Sarah had to rationalize her diet, cutting back on processed foods and sugary drinks.
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Meaning 2
Defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning; "rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- She couldn't help but rationalize her decision to quit her job despite her parents' disapproval.
- When questioned about the missing money, he attempted to rationalize his careless spending by saying it was an investment.
- The company tried to rationalize the environmental damage caused by their operations, citing the benefits of the new factory.
- He found it difficult to rationalize his infidelity to his partner, knowing that his excuses were weak.
- The government struggled to rationalize its policies, citing flawed data and controversial statistics.
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Meaning 3
Think rationally; employ logic or reason; "When one wonders why one is doing certain things, one should rationalize".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- She decided to rationalize her actions and explained to her parents why she chose to pursue a career in the arts.
- After thinking about his motivations, he could finally rationalize why he reacted so impulsively in the meeting.
- Her therapist encouraged her to rationalize her fears and address them head-on to help her overcome her anxiety.
- The company's financial manager tried to rationalize the huge expenses by explaining the potential long-term gains.
- The politician struggled to rationalize her controversial stance on the issue to her disappointed constituents.
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Meaning 4
Remove irrational quantities from; "This function can be rationalized".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The equation can be rationalized by multiplying both the numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the irrational denominator.
- To simplify the expression, we will rationalize the denominator by getting rid of the square root.
- Multiplying the fraction by a special form of 1 can help rationalize the denominator.
- This expression can be rationalized by introducing a factor that results in a rational denominator.
- We can rationalize the radical in the denominator by multiplying the fraction by its conjugate.
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Meaning 5
Structure and run according to rational or scientific principles in order to achieve desired results; "We rationalized the factory's production and raised profits".
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.
Examples
- The company's goal was to rationalize its business model and make it more efficient and cost-effective.
- By streamlining its processes, the organization was able to rationalize its operations and significantly reduce waste.
- The team worked to rationalize the workflow, eliminating unnecessary steps and increasing productivity.
- The new manager aimed to rationalize the department's procedures and bring them in line with industry standards.
- The town council made a decision to rationalize its transportation system and introduce a more efficient public transport network.