1. to find reasons to justify one’s actions or beliefs, especially when they may be wrong or unreasonable
Usage: British spelling
2. to make something more efficient or logical by reorganizing it
Usage: British spelling; business context

Examples

• She tried to rationalise her decision to quit her job without notice.
• He rationalised his poor performance by blaming external factors.
• The company plans to rationalise its operations by closing unprofitable branches.
• Don’t rationalise your mistakes; learn from them instead.
• The government decided to rationalise the healthcare system to reduce costs.
• It’s easy to rationalise bad behavior when you’re under pressure.
• The new CEO will rationalise the company’s product line to focus on core offerings.