"Rationalizing" Natural Recordings by Native Speakers
To rationalize something means to bring it into a state of reason or intelligence; to make something seem logical or sensible. It can also be used to make something less emotional or irrational, and more grounded in reality.
In technical contexts, rationalizing refers to the process of eliminating imaginary or Plug-and-chug numbers in a mathematical expression by multiplying the numerator and denominator by a value that gets rid of the imaginary parts, making the expression more comprehensible and easier to work with.
In everyday language, rationalizing often means making excuses, justifying, or providing a seemingly reasonable explanation for a behavior or decision that may not be entirely justifiable.
Those who believe in the use of reason as the primary source of knowledge, and who rely on logic and evidence-based reasoning to understand the world. Rationalists often reject empirical evidence gathered through sensory experience, placing a higher value on abstract reasoning, innate ideas, and intuitive knowledge.