0 the reasons or intentions that cause a particular set of beliefs or actions:
I don't understand the rationale for these restrictions.
He tried to explain the scientific rationale behind his work.
1 the reasons or intentions for a particular set of thoughts or actions:
[ C ] I don’t understand your rationale.
2 the set of reasons that are given to explain a particular decision, action, etc.:
There was a stronger rationale for reform and both international and domestic factors played important roles.
The rationale for this behavior is perfectly clear.
The rationale for these recommendations reflected the situation that faces many healthcare systems.
Still, it is a reasonable distinction for use within our primary rationale for including medical services in a healthcare benefit package.
Where judges accepted the comprehensiveness rationale, they were greatly increasing the discretion of local officials to determine where and how private rights could be exercised.
Our data provide evidence for the rationale behind government response analysed in the earlier section.
The rationale behind the law was simple: water belonged to the public and the government should be the only authority in charge of its distribution.
The rationale for self-recruitment is that it is difficult for an outsider to determine whether a person belongs to the target group or not.