Etymologically
Log in

rationaliser

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the French word rationaliser

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1826 Eckstein, Le Catholique More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
Latin ratiō

Pronunciation

  • /ʁa.sjɔ.na.li.ze/[1]

Forms

rationaliser[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French rationnel + -iser.[2][1] The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert derive it instead from Latin ratiōnālis (“rational”);[3][4] Rey calls it another learned derivative of the Latin word.[5] English rationalize is recorded in the economic sense in 1926 and the psychological one in 1922, and the psychological sense in French followed the English.[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is the participle in le protestantisme rationalisé, in Eckstein's Le Catholique (1826), meaning “made rational”;[2][5] Auguste Comte used the verb in 1839 for giving something rationality.[2]

Semantic evolution

After isolated uses in the 1820s–1840s, the verb was taken up again around 1890 by Renan in the sense “make rational, bring into line with reason”, and also of people, “teach them to behave rationally”.[5][6][2]

From 1907 it was applied to the organization of work and production, to make a process more efficient and cheaper;[5][4] industries rationalisées is recorded in 1930 and rationaliser la production in Bergson in 1932.[2] In psychoanalysis and psychology it came to mean justifying a behaviour by rational motives, after English (1946 in the TLFi).[2][5]

Timeline

  • 1826 – The participle rationalisé appears in Eckstein's Le Catholique.[2][5]
  • 1839 – Auguste Comte uses rationaliser.[2]
  • 1842 – Another isolated record.[3][6]
  • c. 1890 – Renan takes the verb up again.[5][3]
  • 1907 – Used of organizing work and production.[5][4]
  • 1930 – Industries rationalisées is recorded.[2]
  • 1946 – The psychological sense appears in la personnalité rationalisée.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To make rational, bring into line with raison.[4][2]
  2. To organize work, production or an administration methodically, so as to make it more efficient: L'usine a rationalisé ses ateliers.[4][6][1]
  3. (psychoanalysis) To justify a behaviour by rational motives, hiding its real ones: rationaliser une décision.[4][2]
  4. (physics) To carry out the rationalization of an equation or a system of units.[4]
  5. (rare) To make someone reasonable, give them rational habits.[2][6]

Word family

  • rationalisation

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
Cite this entry

“Rationaliser.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/rationaliser. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·