rationalization
n 1: the cognitive process of making something seem consistent
with or based on reason [syn: {rationalisation}]
2: a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is
concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way
that is not threatening [syn: {rationalisation}]
3: (math) the simplification of an expression or equation by
eliminating radicals without changing the value of the
expression or the roots of the equation [syn: {rationalisation}]
4: systematic organization [syn: {systematization}, {systematisation},
{rationalisation}]