Rationally

How to spell rationally

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce rationally

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does rationally mean?

1. adverbIn a way that is based on clear reasoning and logic rather than emotion.

Rationally in a sentence

• She tried to think rationally about the job offer despite her nerves.

• The report assesses the risks rationally and without panic.

Where does rationally come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word traces back to the Latin noun ratio, which meant a 'reckoning', 'calculation', or 'reason', built on the verb reri, 'to reckon or think'. From ratio came the late Latin adjective rationalis, meaning 'endowed with reason' or 'logical'. English took the adjective 'rational' in the late 1300s through Old French, and the adverb 'rationally' was formed in English by adding the native '-ly' ending. The same ratio root underlies a whole family of familiar words, including 'ratio' itself, 'ration', 'reason', and 'rationale'. A useful spelling clue is that the unstressed middle of the word is 'tion' as in 'ration', and the ending stacks two suffixes, '-al' and '-ly', giving the double 'l' that writers sometimes drop.

How the word is built

• ratio (from Latin ratio: reckoning, reason)
• -al (adjective suffix)
• -ly (adverb suffix)