rationalization

Academic Word List, sublist 6.

About 2.13 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. noun The process or result of rationalizing, or expressing in rational terms.

   Some rationalization of the language of his lectures is, of course, necessary.

2. noun A statement of one's motives, or of the causes of some event.

   Her self-flagellating rationalization for the theft was mostly ignored by the jury.

3. noun The reorganization of a company or organization in order to improve its efficiency through the reallocation of resources and changes in its workforce.

   It began with the familiar political motives of civil service rationalization and downsizing.

4. noun The concealment of true motivation in some non-threatening way.
5. noun The simplification of an expression without changing its value.

   Here, the rationalization of the denominator was unnecessary.

Similar words

rationalisation systematization systematisation rationality justification mainstreaming standardization simplification efficiency facilitation

Often followed by

of and for is in that to was or

Word family

rational rationalisation rationalisations rationalise rationalised rationalises rationalising rationalism rationality rationalizations