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Rational vs Speculative - What's the difference?

rational | speculative |

As adjectives the difference between rational and speculative

is that rational is capable of reasoning while speculative is .

As a noun rational

is (mathematics) a rational number: a number that can be expressed as the quotient of two integers.

rational

English

Alternative forms

* rationall (obsolete)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) rationel, rational, from (etyl)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Capable of reasoning.
  • *
  • Logically sound; not contradictory or otherwise absurd.
  • (label) Healthy or balanced intellectually; exhibiting reasonableness.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2014-06-21, volume=411, issue=8892, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Magician’s brain , passage=The [Isaac] Newton that emerges from the [unpublished] manuscripts is far from the popular image of a rational practitioner of cold and pure reason. The architect of modern science was himself not very modern. He was obsessed with alchemy.}}
  • Of a number, capable of being expressed as the ratio of two integers.
  • ¾ is a rational number, but ?2 is an irrational number.
  • Of an algebraic expression, capable of being expressed as the ratio of two polynomials.
  • (label) Expressing the type, structure, relations, and reactions of a compound; graphic; said of formulae.
  • Antonyms
    * (reasonable) absurd, irrational, nonsensical * (capable of reasoning) arational, irrational, non-rational * (number theory) irrational

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) rational, from , for which see the first etymology.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (mathematics) A rational number: a number that can be expressed as the quotient of two integers.
  • The quotient of two rationals''' is again a '''rational .
  • A rational being.
  • (Young)

    References

    * *

    Anagrams

    *

    speculative

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Characterized by speculation; based on guessing or unfounded opinions.
  • *
  • *:"Don't dare laugh at us!" smiled his sister. "I wish we were back in Tenth Street. But so many children cameand the Tenth Street house wasn't half big enough; and a dreadful speculative builder built this house and persuaded Austin to buy it. Oh, dear, and here we are among the rich and great; and the steel kings and copper kings and oil kings and their heirs and dauphins. Do you like the house?"
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=June 4, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC
  • , title= England 2-2 Switzerland , passage=Tranquillo Barnetta was the grateful beneficiary of uncertain England defending and poor goalkeeping from Joe Hart as he twice saw speculative free-kicks end in the back of the net in the first half.}}

    Derived terms

    * speculativeness

    See also

    * conjectural