rationalizer
- noun
- /ˈræʃənəˌlaɪzər/
- US
:
racionalizador
- His role as a rationalizer often involved providing reasons for the company's unpopular policies.
Examples
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The rationalizer explained his actions by citing market trends, even when his justifications lacked substance.
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Its sole purpose is to convince the rationalizer that what they do or support is really okey-dokey, even though they know, deep down inside, that it's not.
Blog text (7) -
As a skilled rationalizer, she always found a way to defend her controversial decisions to her colleagues.
Synonyms
34
7.9
A person who argues for a belief or policy
How Defensive
Surface Forms
Morphology
rationalizer = rationalize (transparent) = rational + ize + er
The derivation from 'rationalize' to an agent noun by adding '-er' is a regular and obvious morphological process.
Etymology
The word rationalizer comes from the old Latin word ratio, meaning 'reason' or 'calculation', the same root behind rational and ratio. A helpful way to remember the second sense is that a rationalizer 'makes reasons' to explain or defend actions, so they try to make their choices sound logical even when they are not.