Not rational; unfounded, nonsensical or wrong-headed.
Used in a Sentence
irrational
Definitions, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for irrational.
Editorial note
It's not logically rigorous, it may not be true at all, but it's not an irrational reaction either.
Examples17
Definitions3
Parts of speech2
Quick take
Not rational; unfounded, nonsensical or wrong-headed.
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of irrational gathered in one view.
(mathematics) A real number that can not be expressed as the quotient of two integers, an irrational number.
(mathematics, arithmetic, number theory, not comparable) Of a real number, that cannot be written as the ratio of two integers.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for irrational.
adjective
Not rational; unfounded, nonsensical or wrong-headed.
See also: incoherent, jaundiced, unreasonable, blind, reasonless
noun
(mathematics) A real number that can not be expressed as the quotient of two integers, an irrational number.
See also: incoherent, jaundiced, unreasonable, blind, reasonless
adjective
(mathematics, arithmetic, number theory, not comparable) Of a real number, that cannot be written as the ratio of two integers.
See also: incoherent, jaundiced, unreasonable, blind, reasonless
Example sentences
It's not logically rigorous, it may not be true at all, but it's not an irrational reaction either.
Some people are perfectly capable of doing the work, and are passed up for completely irrational reasons.
It seems to me that you are the only one talking about people being irrational or not.
It's absolutely capitalistic, but there are many people who would call it economically inefficient or irrational.
Another factor is that pedophile are OK to hate, and where hate is left unchecked it grows and becomes increasingly irrational.
That's what Schopenhauer recommends as a strategy against irrational rhetoric (here of the reactionary kind).
Intentionally choosing to not develop and use models for such systems would be decidedly irrational.
The rest of the world is free to be crazy—many plot points in Methods of Rationality, for example, develop as a result of thinking critically about the canon irrational magical world.
Most real humans are irrational, they are petty, they do things for the lulz.
You may think that belief is ludicrous, and that we are naive, irrational fools for holding it.
It seems irrational for someone to care about what other people make.
I know this sounds crazy and maybe irrational, but that's usually how disruptive things get started.
Quote examples
Except that's exactly what we were talking about here: Saying that people are "irrational" for not buying the same thing the poster did, in this case, Apple products.
I don't think it's uncalled for that someone who would judge others and call them "irrational" for something like their smartphone choice be called out as a jerk.
I am likely wrong on exact numbers, but studies are well-known enough to be quoted in "Fooled by Randomness", "Predictably Irrational" and some other pop-psych titles.
> Except that's exactly what we were talking about here: Saying that people are "irrational" for not buying the same thing the poster did, in this case, Apple products.
Proper noun examples
Irrational confidence isn't always a bad thing if you're staring down a tough deadline and need to motivate your team.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use irrational in a sentence?
It's not logically rigorous, it may not be true at all, but it's not an irrational reaction either.
What does irrational mean?
Not rational; unfounded, nonsensical or wrong-headed.
What part of speech is irrational?
irrational is commonly used as adjective, noun.