rationalise away
Definition
Verb (transitive): - To explain or dismiss something, typically a strange, unsettling, or supernatural event, by applying a logical, natural, or scientific reason instead. It involves consciously or subconsciously using reasoning to remove the need for a more mysterious or emotional explanation.
Usage
This verb is used when someone actively reinterprets evidence or an experience to fit a rational, non-supernatural worldview, often to reduce fear, doubt, or cognitive dissonance. - It typically takes a direct object (e.g., rationalise away a fear, a noise, a feeling). - The object is often something intangible: a thought, a sound, a coincidence, or a suspicion.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- Pattern: The verb is often used with the adverb "away" to emphasize the act of dismissing or eliminating the troubling element through reasoning. The object can sometimes be placed between "rationalise" and "away" (e.g., ).
- Context: Common in psychological, skeptical, or analytical contexts where there is a tension between instinct/emotion and logic.
Variants and Related Words
- Rationalize (verb): The primary verb, meaning to justify or explain with logical reasons, often in a self-deceptive way. "Rationalise away" is a specific phrasal application.
- Rationalisation (noun): The process or result of rationalising.
- Explain away (phrasal verb): A close synonym, meaning to dismiss or minimize through explanation.
Synonyms
- Explain away
- Dismiss logically
- Justify
- Intellectualize
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Explain away: To get rid of or minimize by giving reasons. Often used interchangeably with "rationalise away," though "explain away" can be slightly broader.
- He tried to explain away his lateness with a story about traffic.
Related Idioms
- To reason something out: To find an explanation or solution through logical thinking. This is the constructive counterpart; "rationalise away" often has a defensive or dismissive connotation.
- Let's sit down and reason this out.
Verb
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substitute a natural for a supernatural explanation of
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you can rationalize away all the strange noises you hear--there is no poltergeist in the house!
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