Rationalistic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Favoring a perspective that prioritizes reason and logical reasoning for comprehending existence, while denying the validity of emotional, traditional, or faith-based influences
2. Emphasizing the role of intellect and rational thought in grasping truth, dismissing reliance on emotions, traditions, or faith as means of understanding
3. Preferring explanations and beliefs grounded in logical thinking rather than feelings or religious faith

Etymology: "Rationalistic" is a compound built from two existing English formations, "rationalist" and "rational" plus "-istic." The first route takes "rationalist" (a person who favours reason over revelation) and adds the adjectival suffix "-ic," producing a form that describes things in the manner of such a person. The second route starts from "rational" and attaches "-istic," the suffix used to make adjectives from nouns ending in "-ist," such as "artistic" from "artist." Both paths lead to the same word, so the form is a blend of two ordinary English building blocks rather than a single inherited term. The root "rational" comes from Latin "rationalis," meaning "of reason," derived from "ratio," reason or calculation. Its most striking feature is how far it has moved from the everyday sense of being sane or sensible: the modern adjective is largely a product of intellectual debate about whether reason or revelation should guide belief. The "-ist" element marks a person who adopts a doctrine, so "rationalist" names someone committed to that doctrine, and "rationalistic" describes the approach or outlook such a person holds.

Synonyms: logical, reasonable, analytical, sensible, scientific

Antonyms: irrational, illogical, emotional