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irrationality

Noun

This term describes a departure from reason, often carrying a negative connotation of instability or absurdity in human behavior. It suggests a state where logic is ignored or bypassed, leading to decisions that are unpredictable or unjustifiable to an outside observer. In a mathematical context, the term is technical and neutral, referring specifically to the inability of a number to be written as a simple fraction. Unlike the behavioral sense, this usage is an absolute property of a number rather than a failure of judgment.

Meanings

Noun

"His decision to quit his job without a backup plan was a peak of irrationality."

Noun

"The sheer irrationality of the argument made it impossible to debate."

Noun

In mathematics, the property of a number that cannot be expressed as a ratio of two integers.

"The irrationality of pi ensures that its decimal expansion never repeats or terminates."

Last Updated: June 14, 2026•Report an Error