Definitions for rational
ˈræʃ ə nl, ˈræʃ nlra·tio·nal

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. rational number, rationaladjective

   an integer or a fraction

2. rationaladjective

   consistent with or based on or using reason

   "rational behavior"; "a process of rational inference"; "rational thought"

3. intellectual, rational, noeticadjective

   of or associated with or requiring the use of the mind

   "intellectual problems"; "the triumph of the rational over the animal side of man"

4. rationaladjective

   capable of being expressed as a quotient of integers

   "rational numbers"

5. rationaladjective

   having its source in or being guided by the intellect (as distinguished from experience or emotion)

   "a rational analysis"

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. RATIONALadjective

   Etymology: rationalis, Latin.

   1. Having the power of reasoning.2. Agreeable to reason.

   What higher in her society thou find’st
   Attractive, humane, rational, love still. John Milton.

   When the conclusion is deduced from the unerring dictates of our faculties, we say the inference is rational. Joseph Glanvill.

   If your arguments be rational, offer them in as moving a manner as the nature of the subject will admit; but beware of letting the pathetick part swallow up the rational. Jonathan Swift.

   3. Wise; judicious: as, a rational man.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. rational

   Rationality is the quality of being guided by or based on reasons. In this regard, a person acts rationally if they have a good reason for what they do or a belief is rational if it is based on strong evidence. This quality can apply to an ability, as in rational animal, to a psychological process, like reasoning, to mental states, such as beliefs and intentions, or to persons who possess these other forms of rationality. A thing that lacks rationality is either arational, if it is outside the domain of rational evaluation, or irrational, if it belongs to this domain but does not fulfill its standards. There are many discussions about the essential features shared by all forms of rationality. According to reason-responsiveness accounts, to be rational is to be responsive to reasons. For example, dark clouds are a reason for taking an umbrella, which is why it is rational for an agent to do so in response. An important rival to this approach are coherence-based accounts, which define rationality as internal coherence among the agent's mental states. Many rules of coherence have been suggested in this regard, for example, that one should not hold contradictory beliefs or that one should intend to do something if one believes that one should do it. Goal-based accounts characterize rationality in relation to goals, such as acquiring truth in the case of theoretical rationality. Internalists believe that rationality depends only on the person's mind. Externalists contend that external factors may also be relevant. Debates about the normativity of rationality concern the question of whether one should always be rational. A further discussion is whether rationality requires that all beliefs are reviewed from scratch rather than trusting pre-existing beliefs. Various types of rationality are discussed in the academic literature. The most influential distinction is between theoretical and practical rationality. Theoretical rationality concerns the rationality of beliefs. Rational beliefs are based on evidence that supports them. Practical rationality pertains primarily to actions. This includes certain mental states and events preceding actions, like intentions and decisions. In some cases, the two can conflict, as when practical rationality requires that one adopts an irrational belief. Another distinction is between ideal rationality, which demands that rational agents obey all the laws and implications of logic, and bounded rationality, which takes into account that this is not always possible since the computational power of the human mind is too limited. Most academic discussions focus on the rationality of individuals. This contrasts with social or collective rationality, which pertains to collectives and their group beliefs and decisions. Rationality is important for solving all kinds of problems in order to efficiently reach one's goal. It is relevant for and discussed in many disciplines. In ethics, one question is whether one can be rational without being moral at the same time. Psychology is interested in how psychological processes implement rationality. This also includes the study of failures to do so, as in the case of cognitive biases. Cognitive and behavioral sciences usually assume that people are rational to predict how they think and act. Logic studies the laws of correct arguments. These laws are highly relevant for the rationality of beliefs. A very influential conception of practical rationality is given in decision theory: it states that a decision is rational if the chosen option has the highest expected utility. Other relevant fields include game theory, Bayesianism, economics, and artificial intelligence.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. rational

   Rational, in general, refers to the quality of being based on logical reasoning or clear, sound judgement. It pertains to the ability to think, understand, and form judgements in a logical manner. In mathematics, a rational number is a number that can be expressed as a fraction or ratio of two integers, with the denominator not equal to zero.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Rationaladjective

   relating to the reason; not physical; mental

2. Rationaladjective

   having reason, or the faculty of reasoning; endowed with reason or understanding; reasoning

3. Rationaladjective

   agreeable to reason; not absurd, preposterous, extravagant, foolish, fanciful, or the like; wise; judicious; as, rational conduct; a rational man

4. Rationaladjective

   expressing the type, structure, relations, and reactions of a compound; graphic; -- said of formulae. See under Formula

5. Rationalnoun

   a rational being

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Rational

   Consistent, logical.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Rational

   rash′on-al, adj. pertaining to the reason: endowed with reason: agreeable to reason: sane: intelligent: judicious: (arith., alg.) noting a quantity which can be exactly expressed by numbers.—n. Rationabil′ity, the possession of reason.—adj. Rat′ionable, reasonable.—ns. Rationā′le, a rational account of anything, with reasons for its existence: a theoretical explanation or solution; Rationalisā′tion, subjection to rational principles.—v.t. Rat′ionalise, to interpret like a rationalist: to think for one's self.—v.i. to rely entirely or unduly on reason.—ns. Rat′ionalism, the religious system or doctrines of a rationalist; Rat′ionalist, one who believes himself guided in his opinions solely by reason, independently of authority, esp. in regard to religion—denying supernatural revelation.—adjs. Rationalist′ic, -al, pertaining to, or in accordance with, the principles of rationalism.—adv. Rationalist′ically, in a rationalistic manner.—n. Rational′ity, quality of being rational: the possession or due exercise of reason: reasonableness.—adv. Rat′ionally, reasonably.—n. Rat′ionalness.—n.pl. Rat′ionals, dress for women convenient for bicycling, &c.—breeches instead of skirts.

2. Rational

   rash′on-al, n. the breast-plate of the Jewish high-priest: a pectoral worn by a bishop. [L. rationale, a mistaken rendering in the Vulgate of the Gr. logion, oracle.]

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. rational

   The act and fact of being rational.

   The directors of the unity government were just, fair, transparent and had an accurate, perfect, simple and specific sense of justice.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on April 12, 2020  

2. ---

   rational

   To have the ability to reason.

   She was so fair, just and rational, she has the remarkable capacity to think things through in seconds and see what works.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on February 12, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Math

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'rational' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3966

2. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'rational' in Adjectives Frequency: #532

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Anagrams for rational »

1. rotalian

2. notarial

How to pronounce rational?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say rational in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of rational in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of rational in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of rational in a Sentence

1. Anatole France:

   Of all the ways of defining man, the worst is the one which makes him out to be a rational animal.

2. Mariana Fulger:

   Reigning over the worlds in your brain – that’s a true prerogative of rational existence…

3. Noam Chomsky:

   I have often thought that if a rational Fascist dictatorship were to exist, then it would choose the American system.

4. Gary Ross:

   The Saudis are probably worried about everyone else reducing capex as a result of low oil prices and about non-OPEC output falling off a cliff at some point. We all know that supply disruptions are unpredictable but they are certain, the increase in Saudi rig numbers is like a signal to the industry - let's be rational. We will need supply growth in the future.

5. Bill Weld:

   It can only contribute to more robust dialogue and that will be good for the country, we need to assemble rational people.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=rational
2. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=rational
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rational
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=rational
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=rational
8. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=rational