rationalization
ra·tio·na·lization
noun
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening
(mathematics) the simplification of an expression or equation by eliminating radicals without changing the value of the expression or the roots of the equation
the organization of a business according to scientific principles of management in order to increase efficiency
systematic organization; the act of organizing something according to a system or a rationale
Origin
First attested in 1831. From French rationalisation, equivalent to rational + -ization or rationalize + -ation.
Phrases
- backward rationalization
- rationalization hamster
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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.