1
as in intelligent
having the ability to reason
human beings are rational creatures
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2
as in logical
according to the rules of logic
insisted there was a rational explanation for the strange creaking noises and that there were no such things as ghosts
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3
as in reasonable
based on sound reasoning or information
betting all of your savings on the lottery is not a rational move
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rational
If a federal worker did indeed trust the integrity of the offer, rational economic actors who are not already on the verge of full retirement will weigh only material considerations in their decision.
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Christopher Wong Michaelson and Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, TIME, 6 Feb. 2025
Now, our risk-taking has to be rational, but everything is a risk.
—Matt Slater, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
His characters are driven by their needs; they’re not driven by rational thinking.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Carlson inserted commentary throughout, reminding viewers to observe how sound of mind and rational West appeared.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rational
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rational
Adjective
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The application can generate unit test cases, propose intelligent code fixes and answer some coding queries, including refactoring.—
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Any edge comes from their regular scene partners: Wilson’s believably unpleasant demeanor, Bratt’s vulnerable charm, Scott’s lo-fi depression and, most appealingly, Driver’s intelligent wariness.—
Adjective
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Be careful, though, not to let a rant become your reality: Your letter is brimming with unhelpful generalizations — that men are pigs, for instance — and logical inconsistencies.—
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To ease the concern stakeholders and regulators may have about the vertical AI's use, include policies broken down into tree diagrams or mind maps for visible logical workflow.—
Adjective
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The Olympus Region has one fewer Location to traverse before the Guardian. Encounters in the Rift of Thessaly that had too many waves (of foes) should now be more reasonable.—
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Certainly, the numbers suggest those benefits are being realized by a reasonable proportion of consumers in the U.K.—
Adjective
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And no one offered a coherent explanation for why the cap is 15%.—
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Both pilots were pulled from the water and were coherent, according to Viets.—
Adjective
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Nibert loved the free-thinking spirit of the village and its college.—
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Credit Gus Malzahn for being proactive and thinking long-term in choosing his starting quarterback.—
Adjective
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There are stories behind every regular-season game that might not be valid come March Madness.—
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So, for people like me, whose nerves don't get calmed by facts and numbers, just know, your feelings are valid.—
Adjective
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In this case the most sensible move would be to shift Rafaela into a super utility bench role, install the prospect at left field and bump Duran over to center.—
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City government is closest to the needs of residents’ everyday lives – snow plowing, garbage pickup, street lights, road repair, public safety, sensible economic development for low property taxes.—
Cite this Entry
“Rational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rational. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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