Verb

• S: (v) rationalize, rationalise (structure and run according to rational or scientific principles in order to achieve desired results) "We rationalized the factory's production and raised profits"
• S: (v) apologize, apologise, excuse, rationalize, rationalise (defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning) "rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success"
• direct troponym / full troponym
• S: (v) color, colour, gloss (give a deceptive explanation or excuse for) "color a lie"
• direct hypernym / inherited hypernym / sister term
• derivationally related form
• sentence frame
• S: (v) plead (offer as an excuse or plea) "She was pleading insanity"
• S: (v) extenuate, palliate, mitigate (lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of) "The circumstances extenuate the crime"
• direct hypernym / inherited hypernym / sister term
• derivationally related form
• W: (n) apology [Related to: apologise] (a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly)
• W: (n) apology [Related to: apologise] (an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone) "he wrote a letter of apology to the hostess"
• derivationally related form
• Overview
• synset
• W: (adj) excusatory [Related to: excuse] (offering or expressing apology) "an apologetic note"; "an apologetic manner"
• W: (n) excuse [Related to: excuse] (a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.) "he kept finding excuses to stay"; "every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"; "his transparent self-justification was unacceptable"
• W: (n) rationalization [Related to: rationalize] (the cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason)
• W: (n) rationalisation [Related to: rationalise] (the cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason)
• sentence frame
• Somebody ----s something
• S: (v) rationalize, rationalise (think rationally; employ logic or reason) "When one wonders why one is doing certain things, one should rationalize"
• direct hypernym / inherited hypernym / sister term
• derivationally related form
• sentence frame
• S: (v) rationalize, rationalise (remove irrational quantities from) "This function can be rationalized"
• S: (v) cut, prune, rationalize, rationalise (weed out unwanted or unnecessary things) "We had to lose weight, so we cut the sugar from our diet"