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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary
Can "Rationalize" Be Used Here?
Dear Everyone,
I've seen the several meanings of the verb, and it seems for me (e.g. based on dictionary.com's entry), that it can be used in a situation like the one below as well. Could you, please, let me know if I'm right in this supposition?
Here it comes:
Let's say G states that it was X who stole the sandwich, saying X was in the room at the time it disappeared, and that everyone else has been proven to be innocent. G, however, knows it wasn't X, and that it was Y, his (i.e. G's) own accomplice.
Can we say here that G rationalizes what happened?
(Based on dictionary.com, we could, since here, he "ascribes this act to a cause that superficially seems reasonable and valid but that actually
is unrelated to the true... and less creditable... cause";
and
"explains the act in a rational manner".) But is it indeed correct to use the verb like this?
Could you, please, make this clear to me?
Thank you very much!
I've seen the several meanings of the verb, and it seems for me (e.g. based on dictionary.com's entry), that it can be used in a situation like the one below as well. Could you, please, let me know if I'm right in this supposition?
Here it comes:
Let's say G states that it was X who stole the sandwich, saying X was in the room at the time it disappeared, and that everyone else has been proven to be innocent. G, however, knows it wasn't X, and that it was Y, his (i.e. G's) own accomplice.
Can we say here that G rationalizes what happened?
(Based on dictionary.com, we could, since here, he "ascribes this act to a cause that superficially seems reasonable and valid but that actually
is unrelated to the true... and less creditable... cause";
and
"explains the act in a rational manner".) But is it indeed correct to use the verb like this?
Could you, please, make this clear to me?
Thank you very much!
Top answer
Anonymous Can we say here that G rationalizes what happened? (meaning "reasons out") Based on the source of the verb, you could reason that your proposed use should work. However, that's simply not what the verb means in the English language.
- Anonymous Can we say here that G rationalizes what happened?
- (meaning "reasons out") Based on the source of the verb, you could reason that your proposed use should work.
- However, that's simply not what the verb means in the English language.
- True, the adjectives work about the same: if a thing is rational it's reasonable.
- If a person is rational, his powers of reason are working.
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2 Answers
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AnonymousCan we say here that G rationalizes what happened?(meaning "reasons out")
Based on the source of the verb, you could reason that your proposed use should work.
However, that's simply not what the verb means in the English language.
True, the adjectives work about the same: if a thing is rational it
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Thank you very much, Avangi! Your explanation helps a lot! 
Have a nice day, and thanks again!
Have a nice day, and thanks again!
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