rational English · revision 10247

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1398|origins=fro racionel|origins=la rationalis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɹæʃ(ə)nəl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English racional, [[bor|fro|racionel]] and directly from Latin ratiōnālis, of or belonging to reason, reasonable,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) from ratiō, ratiōnis, reckoning, calculation, reason (see [[ratio]], [[reason]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998) from rat-, past participle stem of rērī, to reckon, think.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Having the faculty of reasoning: before 1398, in Trevisa's translation of Bartholomaeus;^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) Etymonline dates the sense pertaining to reason to the late 14th century and of persons to the mid-15th.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Based on or derived from reason is from 1531,^(OED 1989) and in arithmetic, expressible in finite terms, from the 1560s.^(Etymonline) Exercising one's reason properly, sensible, is from 1632.^(OED 1989) Hoad dates the sense agreeable to reason, reasonable, to the 17th century.^(Hoad 1986) An ancient class of physicians who reasoned from theory are rational from 1541,^(OED 1989) and ''Rational Christians'' from 1750.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1398 – endowed with reason.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1531 – based on reason.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1541 – rational physicians.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1560s – in arithmetic.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1632 – sensible.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Having or using the ability to [[reason]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Consistent with or based on reason; [[logical]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of sound mind; [[sane]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' Expressible as a ratio of two integers.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[rationally]]

+ * [[rationalness]]

+ * [[rationalization]]

+ * [[antirational]]

+ * [[hyperrational]]

+ * [[nonrational]]

+ * [[overrational]]

+ * [[prerational]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[irrational]]

+ * [[rationale]]

+ * [[rationality]]

+ * [[subrational]]

+ * [[suprarational]]

+ * [[reason]]

+ * [[ratio]]

+ * [[ration]]

+ * [[rationalize]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}