rationalize

Word family

ra·tion·al·ize (also rationalise British English) /ˈræʃənəlaɪz/ AWL verb [intransitiveI, transitiveT]

1 REASONif you rationalize behaviour that is wrong, you invent an explanation for it so that it does not seem as bad 为〔不当行为〕找出辩解理由

When he fouls up, Glen always finds a way to rationalize what he’s done.

格伦把事情搞砸的时候，总能找出辩解理由。

2 British EnglishBrEEFFICIENT to make a business more effective by removing unnecessary workers, equipment etc 对〔企业〕进行合理化改革〔指裁减冗员、处理闲置设备等〕

Our systems will be rationalized over the coming months.

在未来的几个月里，我们的体制将进行合理化改革。

—rationalization /ˌræʃənəlaɪˈzeɪʃən $ -lə-/ noun [countableC, uncountableU]

a major rationalization of the aircraft industry

对飞机制造业的一项重大的合理化改革

Examples from the Corpus

rationalize• Whining is a form of rationalizing.• The Social Security system needs to be rationalized.• Since the administrative side of the business has been rationalized, all departments have become more efficient.• It is still rationalized by an elaborate and traditional, even if meretricious, theory of consumer demand.• Glen tries to rationalize his drinking by saying he deserves a beer after a hard day.• We are a small company, and we need to rationalize if we want to compete in this market.• Like Nietzsche, Feuerbach frequently shows more sympathy for orthodox believers than for rationalizing modernist theologians.• Abstract internationalism had a strong role to play in rationalizing much more sinister forces than appeared in the rhetoric of Petrograd.• The company has done a lot to rationalize production.• I was rationalizing that I had mainly young reps and so they needed me...• Repeated attempts were made to rationalize the system.• The budget proposed selling off $1,300 million worth of state-run enterprises and rationalizing the tax structure.• You can try to rationalize your low weight loss.

From Longman Business Dictionary