ra ‧ tio ‧ nale /ˌræʃəˈnɑːl $ -ˈnæl/ BrE AmE noun [countable usually singular]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ rationality ≠ ↑ irrationality , ↑ rationale , ↑ rationalism , ↑ rationalist , ↑ rationalization ; adjective : ↑ rational ≠ ↑ irrational , ↑ rationalist ; verb : ↑ rationalize ; adverb : ↑ rationally ≠ ↑ irrationally ]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Modern Latin ; Origin: Latin rationalis ; ⇨ ↑ rational ]
formal the reasons for a decision, belief etc
rationale behind/for/of
The rationale behind the changes is not at all evident.
The rationale for using this teaching method is to encourage student confidence.
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THESAURUS
▪ reason why something happens, or why someone does something:
What was the reason for the delay?
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I don’t know the reason why he left his last job.
▪ explanation a set of reasons that helps you to understand why something happens, especially when it seems difficult to understand:
There are various possible explanations for climate change.
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Is there any explanation for his behavior?
▪ motive a reason that makes someone decide to do something – often used about crimes:
Police say that there is no obvious motive for the attack.
▪ justification a good reason for doing something that seems wrong:
There is never any justification for torture or abuse.
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They try to use the situation in the Middle East as a justification for killing innocent civilians.
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There’s no justification for this type of behaviour.
▪ grounds a reason that makes it right or fair to do something, especially according to legal, official, or moral rules:
The court will decide if she has grounds for divorce.
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They claim the war is justified on moral grounds (=because of moral reasons) .
▪ basis the main ideas or reasons on which something is based:
The doctor makes his decisions purely on the basis of clinical observation.
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What do you think is the basis for this advice?
▪ rationale /ˌræʃəˈnɑːl $ -ˈnæl/ formal a set of reasons that are used to explain why someone does something in a particular way:
the rationale behind the government’s economic reforms
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This chapter explains the nature of yearly plans, and provides a rationale for their use.