rational thinking
BrE: /ˈɹæʃənəl ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/
Definition Synonyms

Definition of rational thinking - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

psychologymental process that uses logic and evidence to reach conclusions
  • Rational thinking helped her evaluate the risks before making a decision.

Adjective

psychologybased on clear logic and careful judgement rather than feelings or guesses
  • She is known for her rational thinking approach to difficult negotiations.
Add a suggestion |

Expressions with rational

rational motiven.
reason based on logical thinking or evidence
He had a rational motive for his decision.
rational choicen.
decision that seems most sensible after thinking about different possible results
Moving closer to work was a rational choice for her family.
rational choice theoryn.
theory that individuals make decisions to maximize benefits
Economists often use rational choice theory to predict consumer behavior.
rational numbern.
number that can be expressed as a fraction
The number 0.5 is a rational number because it equals 1/2..
rational dressn.
clothes designed for comfort and practicality
She wore rational dress for the hiking trip.

Expressions with thinking

thinking capn.
state of focused thinking to find solutions
She put on her thinking cap to tackle the issue.
wishful thinkingn.
belief that hopes match facts, leading to poor choices
Her wishful thinking made her ignore the warning signs.
out-of-the-box thinkingn.
approach to problem-solving that is unconventional
The team used out-of-the-box thinking to tackle the complex issue.
blue-sky thinkingn.
creative thinking not limited by current beliefs
The team engaged in blue-sky thinking to innovate new products.
what was someone thinkingexp.
questions the logic behind someone's actions
What was she thinking wearing that outfit?
not bear thinking aboutv.
be so bad you cannot even think about it
The idea of losing her does not bear thinking about.
put on one's thinking capv.
start thinking carefully to solve a problem
Let's put on our thinking caps and find a solution.
what was I thinking ofexp.
expresses regret or surprise about a past action
I wore sandals in the snow, what was I thinking of?
lateral thinkingn.
solving problems using creative, non-linear methods
Lateral thinking helped her find a unique solution.
cathedral thinkingn.
long-term planning for projects beyond one's lifetime
Building sustainable cities requires cathedral thinking to benefit future generations.

Terms related to rational thinking

💡 Terms in the same lexical field: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, hypernyms…
irrationalirrationalityratiorationalismrationalistrationalisticrationalityrationalizationrationalizethinkthinkerthought

Terms with rational thinking included in their meaning

💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
the voice of reasonn.
advisor
person who advises calm and rational thinking
age of reasonn.
child development
period when a child develops rational thinking
reasonedadj.
logic
based on logical thinking and rational argument
the voices of reasonn.
discussions
people advocating for rational thinking in discussions
sanenessn.
rational thinking
state of thinking and acting with good judgment

Examples of rational thinking in a sentence

  • The course aims to strengthen students' rational thinking about social issues.
  • Rational thinking decisions are encouraged in high-stress emergency situations.
  • His rational thinking analysis helped the team avoid a costly mistake.

View all translations of rational thinking

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:pensée rationnelle, rationnel, ...
  2. German:rationales Denken, rational, ...
  3. Italian:pensiero razionale, razionale, ...
  4. Spanish:pensamiento racional, racional, ...
  5. Portuguese:pensamento racional, racional, ...
  6. Chinese:理性思维, 理性思维的, ...
  7. Japanese:合理的思考, 合理的な, ...
  8. Arabic:التَّفكِير العَقلانِي, مَنْطِقِيّ, ...
  9. Hebrew:חֲשִׁיבָה רַצְיוֹנָלִית, הֶגְיוֹנִי, ...
  10. Russian:рациональное мышление, рациональный, ...
  11. Ukrainian:раціональне мислення, раціональний, ...
  12. Hindi:तार्किक सोच, तार्किक, ...
Browse the dictionary entries starting with “r”:
rational motive rational number rationale rationalisation

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

Get more than a simple definition

Go from understanding to mastery

Helping millions of people and large organizations communicate more efficiently and precisely in all languages.
Products
Translate Text
Translate Documents
Translation in Context
Grammar Check
Synonyms
Conjugation
Free apps
Reverso for Mac/Windows
Reverso for iOS/Android
Reverso for Chrome/Edge
Offers
Reverso Premium
Reverso Corporate Translator
FAQ
|
Contact
|
About Reverso
|
Terms & Conditions
|
Privacy Settings
|
Privacy Policy
©2026 Reverso. All rights reserved.
English Chinese Dictionary|English Swedish Dictionary|English Romanian Dictionary|English Portuguese Dictionary|English Polish Dictionary|English Dutch Dictionary|English Korean Dictionary|English Japanese Dictionary|English Hebrew Dictionary|English Spanish Dictionary|English German Dictionary|English Arabic Dictionary|English Turkish Dictionary|English Russian Dictionary|English Italian Dictionary|English Ukrainian Dictionary|English French Dictionary|English Vietnamese Dictionary|English Bengali Dictionary|English Danish Dictionary|English Greek Dictionary|English Hindi Dictionary|English Brazilian Portuguese Dictionary|English Persian Dictionary|English Thai Dictionary|English Catalan Dictionary|English Czech Dictionary|English Hungarian Dictionary|English Khmer Dictionary