as in explanation
a statement given to explain a belief or act
the rationale for starting the school day an hour later is that kids will supposedly get an extra hour of sleep
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rationale
Instead of treating explainability as a post-hoc add-on, embedding model interpretability from the start provides stakeholders with insights into feature importance and decision rationale in real time, bridging the gap between output and understanding.
—
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
The offbeat rationale: Mother’s Day for the Palmer farm is the traditional start of the summer season and marks its 1964 launch.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 12 May 2025
But the announcement comes as California is leading a lawsuit against the U.S. administration over the legality of Trump’s use of tariffs in the first place — particularly its national security rationale.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
The rationale had long been that when import taxes are small, or de minimis, customs agents should not bother collecting them.
—Agnes Chang, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
The offbeat rationale: Mother’s Day for the Palmer farm is the traditional start of the summer season and marks its 1964 launch.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 12 May 2025
But the announcement comes as California is leading a lawsuit against the U.S. administration over the legality of Trump’s use of tariffs in the first place — particularly its national security rationale.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
The rationale had long been that when import taxes are small, or de minimis, customs agents should not bother collecting them.
—Agnes Chang, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationale
Noun
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In the absence of an official explanation, theories have filled the void in a case that has spurred true crime podcasts and plenty of speculation, including the suggestion Kohberger was trying to impress an old professor by getting away with murder.—
Jorge L. Ortiz,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
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Betty doesn’t volunteer an explanation and Laura doesn’t ask.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2025
Noun
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During these inspections, travelers may be questioned or their electronic devices looked through as a way to confirm their identity and reasons for being in the U.S.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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And that’s one of the reasons why with him and Edwards at the helm, the Timberwolves are only a win away from a repeat trip to the Western Conference finals.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Noun
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During an argument in the car, Lanez allegedly directed expletives at Megan and her friend.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
13 May 2025
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There is certainly an argument that a draw would have been a fair result, a debate further enhanced by the tone of Howe’s comments afterwards.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rationale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationale. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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