HOW TO PRONOUNCE
rational
/ˈɹæʃənəl/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:03
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What does rational mean?
adjective
- Capable of reasoning.
- Behaving according to some partial order of preferences.
- Logically sound; not self-contradictory or otherwise absurd.
More meanings (9)
adjective
- Healthy or balanced intellectually; exhibiting reasonableness.
- Of a number, capable of being expressed as the ratio of two integers.
- Of an algebraic expression in indeterminates, or more generally a function: capable of being expressed as the ratio of two polynomials.
- Of a variety: (informally) geometrically simple almost everywhere; (formally) birationally equivalent to projective space
- Of a function between varieties: acting as a morphism on an open subset of its domain.
- Of a point on an algebraic variety over a field: whose coordinates belong to the field in question (in contrast to those points of the variety which are only defined over the algebraic closure of the base field).
- (obsolete) synonymous replacement for "condensed" in condensed formula.
noun
- A rational number: a number that can be expressed as the quotient of two integers.
- (historical) The breastplate worn by Israelite high priests.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈɹæʃənəl/
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
Events such as the Reformation, which overwhelmed France for a period of fifty years, were in no wise determined by rational influences.
As they had then a powerful fleet, the oracle gave them rational advice, which had the effect of saving the Athenian people.
More book examples (3)
But when he heard my voice, and found what I delivered to be regular and rational, he could not conceal his astonishment.
But, either they were not sincere in their first professions, or their subsequent necessities compelled them to adopt a less rational policy.
At 10 P.M. on the day of the injury Gage was perfectly rational and asked about his work and after his friends.