What does rationale mean?
Word: Rationale
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Rationale means the thinking that explains why a decision or plan was made.
How do you spell rationale?
Syllables: ra - tio - nale
Tricky part: The final e is easy to forget, because stopping one letter short gives a different word.
Watch out for: rationel, rashionale
Memory tip: A rationale Explains, so let it finish on an E.
Rationale in a sentence
Example 1: The rationale for planting neem trees along the road was simple: shade and cleaner air.
Example 2: Nobody understood the rationale behind the sudden change of venue.
Example 3: Her rationale for choosing science was her love of stars.
Fun Fact
English borrowed it in the 1600s straight from Latin, where it was a form of rationalis, 'based on reason'.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
r_t_onale
a) a, e
b) o, i
c) e, i
d) a, i
Show answer
d) a, i. The opening matches the word rat, and the gap before the on takes the same letter as nation.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The head girl asked the sports committee to explain the rationnale for moving the inter-house relay from Friday to Monday morning.
a) committee
b) relay
c) morning
d) rationnale
Show answer
d) rationnale. A single n does the job in the middle of this word.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word rationale as used in the sentence:
The principal explained the rationale behind the new timetable to all the parents.
a) result
b) reasoning
c) schedule
d) reward
Show answer
b) reasoning. She gave the thinking that led to the change.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. motivaton 2. assumtion 3. rationalle 4. hypothesis
a) the thinking behind a choice
b) the wish to do something and keep trying
c) something you accept as true without proof
d) an idea that has been put forward but not yet proved
Show answer
d) an idea that has been put forward but not yet proved. Hypothesis is the correct one; assumption has a p before the t, motivation has an i before on, and the page word takes one l.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A science teacher moves the test to Friday. Which line gives her rationale?
a) Results will go up on the notice board.
b) Most of you have sports practice on Thursday.
c) The test will have twenty short questions.
d) Please bring a blue pen and a ruler.
Show answer
b) Most of you have sports practice on Thursday.
2. What belongs in the rationale section of a project report?
a) a thank-you note to all the helpers
b) a table of all the readings taken
c) why the team chose to study this topic
d) a list of the books the team used
Show answer
c) why the team chose to study this topic
