rational

[rash-uh-nl, rash-nl] / ˈræʃ ə nl, ˈræʃ nl /

ADJECTIVE

realistic; of sound mind

Synonyms

STRONGEST

analytical balanced deliberate enlightened impartial intelligent judicious levelheaded logical lucid normal prudent reasonable sane sensible sober stable thoughtful wise

STRONG

calm cool intellectual knowing objective reasoning sound synthetic thinking

WEAK

all there cerebral circumspect cognitive collected deductive discerning discriminating far-sighted perspicacious philosophic ratiocinative reflective sagacious together well-advised

Antonyms

STRONGEST

careless confused foolish idiotic illogical insane irrational nonsensical senseless stupid thoughtless unbalanced unintelligent unreasonable unstable unsystematic unwise

STRONG

agitated excited

WEAK

ridiculous unrealistic unsound

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Speaking to graduates about to enter the workforce, Schmidt conceded that their fears about AI were "rational" but urged the crowd to adapt to the sprawling technology as "AI will shape the world".

From BBC • May 18, 2026

“It’s rational that doing more feels good in the short term,” said Andres Lares, CEO of Shapiro Negotiations Institute.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

But they shared an aversion to conventional plot, coherent character psychology and even rational argument.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

Diamondback appears to be making a rational choice that should pay off as prices stay high during the war, and afterward too as countries rebuild their inventories.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Some small, rational part of her brain that wasn’t screaming internally decided that none of this could actually be happening.

From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi

Vocabulary lists containing rational

Positive Adjectives to Describe People

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Arithmetic

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

The Number System

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!