Definition of rationalization | Bee Dictionary of English

n the cognitive process of making something seem consistent with or based on reason
n (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening
n (mathematics) the simplification of an expression or equation by eliminating radicals without changing the value of the expression or the roots of the equation
n the organization of a business according to scientific principles of management in order to increase efficiency
n systematic organization; the act of organizing something according to a system or a rationale

There's Wall Street's way, which features theories and numbers and equations and gobbledygook and, ultimately, rationalization (as in, "How were we supposed to know that people who .
Bin Laden, of course, has no religious standing, and his religious rationalization of terrorism is fiercely rejected by mainstream Islam.
Most damningly to critics on the left, Bauer's means of gathering intel (grab terrorist's finger, snap, repeat) make 24 a weekly rationalization of the "ticking time bomb" defense .

Mike Zunino and the 40 Man Roster
In the wake of Mike Zunino‘s promotion today, there was rationalization. You can always count on some kind of spin from certain corners, and this time, one of the primary talking points is that this was a short term move, and if Zunino’s only here ...
June 12, 2013 - seattlepi.com
Mike Zunino and the 40 Man Roster
In the wake of Mike Zunino‘s promotion today, there was rationalization. You can always count on some kind of spin from certain corners, and this time, one of the primary talking points is that this was a short term move, and if Zunino’s only here ...
June 12, 2013 - seattlepi.com
No One Has Noticed That 1,000 People Were Laid Off From Mobile Ad Companies This Year
The rationalization has begun.
June 7, 2013 - Business Insider via Yahoo! Finance

Tiger Wood in NewsFuze.Info (blog)
Stripping away denial and rationalization you start coming to the truth of who you really are and that can be very ugly,he said.
Joe Maddon in The Canadian Press
Nevertheless, they also are solaced by the fact they aren't at full strength. ...... It's always a rationalization process. From our perspective, they weren't at full strength, and to be able to win these three games is very important,he said.
Paik Hak-soon in Jakarta Post
It's a political rationalization on the part of the North Korean leadership that he represents the government as well and, more important, the people,Paik said.