Rational vs. Rationale

I'm wondering whether you've run into these two terms before. Well, don't panic if you haven't. In this lesson, I'm gonna teach you all there is about them.

What Is Their Main Difference?

Both have nearly the same dictations. Also, they both refer to logic and reasoning. However, 'rational' is an adjective and refers to how something/someone is being reasonable, but 'rationale' is a noun and it points out the logic, or the thought behind someone's actions, choices, etc.

Differences

As stated above, 'rational' is an adjective. It points out how something makes sense. In other words, it refers to how logical something is. Look at the examples below:

Hold back your emotions and start thinking rationally.

And you know that he demands a rational explanation for such an intrusion, don't you?

'Rationale', contrariwise, is a noun and it does not describe anything or anyone. It mainly refers to the thoughts or the logic behind a particular action, decision, etc. Check out the examples below:

So, basically, his rationale was to simply remove oppositional voices?

The people are siding with the so called terrorists ever since they revealed their rationale.

Similarities

As stated above, both are written in nearly the same way, and also, they are both related to logic and being reasonable. Look at the examples below:

Could you please clarify on your rationale for coming to such conclusion?

If your sister had been rational, she wouldn't have made a scene over a petty issue such as this.

Are They Interchangeable?

Although they are both related to the same topic, they cannot be used interchangeably because they have different grammatical functions. Also, note that 'rationale' is the thought, whereas, 'rational' refers to whether something makes sense or not. Compare:

✓ Jimmy's being outta his senses. This is not rational.

X Jimmy's being outta his senses. This is not rationale.

As you can see here, this one is grammatically and semantically wrong.

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