rationale

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌɹæʃ.əˈnɑːl/

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  • Rhymes: -ɑːl
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɹæʃ.əˈnæl/
  • Rhymes: -æl

From Late Latin ratiōnāle.

rationale (plural rationales or rationalia)

1. An explanation of the basis or fundamental reasons for something.
2. A justification or rationalization for something.
   • April 5 2022, Tina Brown, “How Princess Diana’s Dance With the Media Impacted William and Harry”, in Vanity Fair‎:

     He confirmed that Bashir successfully manipulated Diana’s paranoia by showing her brother, Earl Spencer, forged documents that “proved” her closest advisers had betrayed her to the palace, inflaming her desire to speak out for herself. Bashir lied his way to the biggest TV scoop of the 20th century. Dyson’s censure at least gave her two sons some rationale for why Diana did something so destructive to their happiness.

     adapted from the book The Palace Papers, published 2022 by Penguin Books

• (explanation): reasoning, rationalization
• (justification): reasoning

A rationale (vestment) of a style used by the Catholic church

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) From Latin ratiōnāle.

rationale (plural rationales)

1. (rare, religion) A liturgical vestment worn by some Christian bishops of various denominations.
   • 2015, Gregory Dipippo, Rationale Worn by the Bishop of Eichstätt‎:

     the local bishop, H.E. Gregor Maria Hanke, is shown wearing that rarest of liturgical garments, the rationale.

• alienator, taeniolar

ratiōnāle

1. nominative/vocative/accusative singular neuter of ratiōnālis (“rational, of reason”)

ratiōnāle n (genitive ratiōnālis); third declension

1. The breastplate worn by Israelite high priests (Translation of λογεῖον (logeîon) or λόγιον (lógion, “oracle”) in the Septuagint version of Exodus 28.)
   • Vulgate Bible, Exodus 28:15

     Rationale quoque iudicii facies opere polymito iuxta texturam superumeralis ex auro hyacintho et purpura coccoque bis tincto et bysso retorta (And you shall make the breastplate of judgment with skillful work; like the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shall you make it.)

2. a rationale worn by a bishop

Third-declension noun (neuter, “pure” i-stem).

• rationale in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• rationale in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)