From an objective viewpoint, his argument was far from rational.
Source: tatoeba (19900)
Rational
/ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəl/
Synonyms for "rational" (258 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (52)
acceptableadmissiblealgorismicalgorithmicaliquotall thereanalyticanalyticalarithmeticalbalancedbelievablebrightcalmcardinalcerebralcircumspectclear-eyedclearheadedclearmindedcogent
Show 10 more words
Adjective(17 words)
analytic logiciananalyticalanalytical chemistry labanalytical efficiencyanalytical methodanalytical techniquecalm disagreementcalm resolutioncognitive judgmentcoherentcoherent reasoningcommensurableconsistent findingsconsistent viewscool headdeductive reasonerdianoetic
Noun(5 words)
analytic skillclassical thoughtcognitive modelcost benefit analysisdecision making
Strong matches (77)
Noun(13 words)
evidencing reasoninghuman rationalityintellectual abilityintellectual capacitylogic basedlogic conceptlogic devicelogical argumentlogical foundationslogical propositionslogical reasoninglogical substantiationlogical thinking
Adjective(18 words)
fractionfractionalintellectuallogicallogical conceptlogical conclusionlogical consequencelogical consistencylogical decision-makinglogical demonstrationlogical groundslogical justificationlogical methodlogical persuasivenesslogical predicateslogical reasonlogical termlogical thinker
Verb(1 words)
Related words (129)
mentalmentally soundmoderatenegativenoeticnoologicalnormalnot so dumbnumeralnumerarynumerativenumericoddof sound mindordinalpairphilosophicalphrenicplausiblepositive
Show 65 more words
positivisticpossiblepracticalpractical-mindedpragmaticpragmaticalpresumptiveprimeprobableprudentpsychicpsychicalpsychologicpsychologicalradicalratiocinativeratiocinatoryrealrealistrealisticreasonreasonablereasoningreciprocalrightsanesane-mindedscientificscientisticsecularsensiblesobersober-mindedsolidsophicsoundsound-mindedsound-thinkingspeculativespiritualstablestraight-thinkingstrong mindedstrong-mindedsubjectivesubmultiplesurdtemperatetenablethinkingthoughtfultogethertranscendentalunderstandingunidealunidealisticunromanticunsentimentalwell-arguedwell-balancedwell-foundedwell-groundedwholesomewiseworldly
Noun(14 words)
more intellectual shiftmore logicalmost analyticalmost logicalnon emotional basedphilosophical treatisesrational numberreasoned argumentreasoning actreasoning toolsscience ideascientific inventionscientific studysound judgment
Determiner(1 words)
more valid reasoning
Adjective(28 words)
natural phenomena in sciencenoeticnumericalphilosophicphilosophical theoryquotientratiorationalisticreasonablereasonable personreasonable thinkingreasoned guessreasoned justificationsanersanestsapient beingscientific phenomenonscientific researchscientific societysensible
Show 8 more words
sensible choicesensible thinkingsolid logicsound logicssound reasoningsound-logicalsoundeststable mind
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: acceptable, admissible, algorismic, algorithmic, aliquot.
- Sentence evidence is available for rational, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "rational".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "rational"
Keep "rational" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "rational" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "rational", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "rational" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
8 entriesCollocations
11 entriesrational argumentrational basisrational behaviorrational choicerational decisionrational explanationrational expressionrational functionrational numberrational thinkingrational thought
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
9 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
15 entriesTranslations
17 translations across 16 languages.
Armenian
1 entries- ռացիոնալ adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Bulgarian
1 entries- рационален adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 有理 adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Finnish
1 entries- rationaali- adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
German
1 entries- rational adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Greek
1 entries- ρητός adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Hindi
1 entries- परिमेय adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Icelandic
1 entries- ræður adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Japanese
1 entries- 有理の adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Macedonian
1 entries- рациона́лен adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Portuguese
1 entries- racional adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Russian
1 entries- рациона́льный adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- racionalan adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
- рационалан adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Spanish
1 entries- racional adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Tagalog
1 entries- matwirin adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Ukrainian
1 entries- раціона́льний adj (arithmetic: of an algebraic expression)
Sample sentences
20 total sentences available.
Parents aren't rational because love isn't rational.
Source: tatoeba (28737)
Try to be a more rational consumer.
Source: tatoeba (30449)
But if we were wholly rational, would we want children at all?
Source: tatoeba (53629)
Showing 4 of 20 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "rational"?
Closest matches include acceptable, admissible, algorismic, algorithmic, aliquot.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "rational"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.