Rationality


the state or quality of being .
the possession of reason.
agreeableness to reason; reasonableness.
the exercise of reason.
a reasonable view, practice, etc.
Contemporary Examples

Evasion is the survival strategy, paranoia makes perfect sense, while rationality comes to look crazy.
The Catch in “Catch-22” Morris Dickstein September 3, 2011

Indeed, as our models of the brain progress, rationality finds itself with less and less breathing room.
Your Brain Is Not as Rational as You May Think It Is Jesse Singal April 27, 2012

On Wednesday, anchor Shepard Smith gave Fox News viewers a dose of rationality.
Breakdancing Brad Pitt, Chainsaw Massacre Prank, and More Viral Videos The Daily Beast Video October 18, 2014

Hubristic wielders of rationality are dubbed “fragilistas” (Alan Greenspan, at one point, is labeled an “uberfragilista”).
A Manifesto for Disorder: Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s ‘Antifragile’ Reviewed Robert Herritt November 25, 2012

“We hope this matter will be treated with wisdom and rationality, far from tension,” he said.
Libya’s Attempted Coup: Inside The Kidnapping of Prime Minister Ali Zidan Jamie Dettmer October 10, 2013

Historical Examples

He was a trenchant critic of the contemporary drama, contending for greater reality and rationality.
A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature John W. Cousin

The theory of rationality is the one at present accepted in political science.
The Jewish State Theodor Herzl

To understand how some biological characteristics improved chances of survival means to understand the rationality of the body.
The Civilization of Illiteracy Mihai Nadin

There is nought to urge against its rationality and its utility.
The World’s Greatest Books–Volume 14–Philosophy and Economics Various

Not only the rationality of millenniums—also their madness, breaketh out in us.
Thus Spake Zarathustra Friedrich Nietzsche

noun (pl) -ties
the state or quality of being rational or logical
the possession or utilization of reason or logic
a reasonable or logical opinion
(economics) the assumption that an individual will compare all possible combinations of goods and their prices when making purchases
n.

1620s, “quality of having reason;” 1650s, “fact of being agreeable to reason,” from French rationalité, from Late Latin rationalitas “reasonableness, rationality” (also source of Spanish racionalidad, Italian razionalita), from Latin rationalis (see rational).

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