1. a person who believes that reason and logic should be the primary basis for knowledge and decision-making
2. a person who follows the philosophical doctrine that knowledge comes primarily from reason rather than experience
Usage: philosophy

1. relating to or characteristic of rationalism or rationalists

Examples

• As a rationalist, she approached every problem through careful logical analysis.
• The rationalist philosopher argued that mathematical truths exist independently of experience.
• His rationalist approach to medicine emphasized scientific reasoning over traditional remedies.
• The debate between rationalist and empiricist thinkers shaped modern philosophy.
• She took a rationalist view of the situation, weighing all the evidence systematically.
• The rationalist tradition in philosophy can be traced back to Descartes.
• His rationalist beliefs led him to question superstitions and folk wisdom.