give a rationale

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "give a rationale" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want someone to provide reasoning or justification for a decision, action, or belief. Example: "In your report, please give a rationale for the proposed changes to the project timeline."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

"It would give a rationale for resurrecting some of the old work that LSD was used for, particularly with addiction".

Independent

Harriet A. Washington, a medical ethicist and the author of "Medical Apartheid," a prize-winning history of experimentation on African-Americans, told me, "Often, when people give a rationale for this kind of research they talk about the fact that these people are urgently ill, need immediate intervention, and that better solutions are needed".

The New Yorker

Can the Labour "big beasts" lining up to reject the alternative vote (Report, 26 November) give a rationale for why if the people of a constituency would vote for A as their MP in a choice between A and B, they should in some cases get B? This can happen when there is a candidate C, and some who prefer A to B also prefer C to A. AV corrects this anomaly, that's all.

The Guardian

I have chosen to use my art as a way to offer a different perspective; give a rationale for why the Confederate flag is an objectionable object to many.

Vice

These basic findings give a rationale for the CRY2 gene as a target of high interest and relevance in our study.

Plosone

In this section, we introduce the notion of story and give a rationale for its definition.

Bioinformatics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

This time it is not the IMF but the international economic ratings agencies, such as Standard and Poor, which have given a rationale for right wing politicians to hit public expenditure and the poor.

The Guardian

Section 3.2 gives a rationale for the use of Poisson estimation method for the study.

Health Economics Review

Faster ligand transfer observed upon treatment with AlMe3, gives a rationale that more electron donating ligands might be unsuitable to develop more active Hf-catalysts (Fig. 15) [34].

Applied Petrochemical Research

The paper explains our implementation, gives a rationale for adding an RL capability to Soar, and shows results for Soar-RL agents' performance on two tasks.

Cognitive Systems Research

A correlation between the surface chemical composition, the surface free energy and its polar and dispersive components is reported, giving a rationale to the wetting properties of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide.

Carbon

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When providing a rationale, always consider your audience and adjust the level of detail and technicality accordingly.

Common error

Avoid providing generic or superficial rationales. Ensure that the reasons are specific and thoroughly explain the underlying logic. For instance, don't just say "it's the best approach"; detail why it's superior to other options.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "give a rationale" functions as a directive, typically used to request or instruct someone to provide a detailed explanation or justification for a decision, action, or belief. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "give a rationale" is a grammatically sound and functionally versatile expression used to request or provide a detailed justification or explanation. Ludwig AI affirms its correctness and usability. Predominantly found in scientific, news, and formal business contexts, it serves to ensure transparency and understanding by eliciting clear and logical reasoning. To enhance clarity and avoid vagueness, it is recommended to provide specific, well-supported rationales tailored to the audience. Alternatives such as "provide a justification" or "offer an explanation" can be used depending on the context to achieve a similar communicative goal.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

provide a justification

Focuses on offering a defense or support for an action or decision.

offer an explanation

Highlights the act of clarifying or making something understandable.

present a justification

Emphasizes the formal act of offering reasoning.

state the reasoning

Directly refers to articulating the thought process behind something.

explain the reasoning

Similar to 'state the reasoning' but implies more detail.

elucidate the basis

Formal and emphasizes clarifying the fundamental principles.

detail the reasons

Focuses on providing a comprehensive account of the reasons.

account for the reasons

Emphasizes taking responsibility for and explaining the reasons.

defend the reasoning

Highlights the act of protecting or justifying a line of thought.

rationalize the action

Implies attempting to make an action seem reasonable, potentially after the fact.

FAQs

How can I use "give a rationale" in a sentence?

You can use "give a rationale" when you need to explain the reasons or justification behind a decision or action. For example: "The report should "give a rationale" for the budget allocation."

What are some alternatives to "give a rationale"?

Alternatives to "give a rationale" include "provide a justification", "offer an explanation", or "present a justification". These phrases can be used interchangeably depending on the context to provide reasoning or support for an action or decision.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "give a rationale"?

It's appropriate to use "give a rationale" in formal settings or when a detailed explanation of reasons is required. This phrase is suitable for reports, proposals, or any context where clear justification is necessary.

What's the difference between "give a rationale" and "give a reason"?

"Give a reason" is more general and can be used in casual conversation to simply state a cause. "Give a rationale", on the other hand, implies a more formal and detailed explanation that justifies a decision or action. A rationale is a more comprehensive and structured explanation than a simple reason.