non-rational

adj

"non-rational" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“non-rational” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Contrary to reason; lacking an appropriate or sufficient reason; irrational.

Corpus desk

Index EN-non-rational · non-rational · English

non-rational · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "N" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for non-rational
PropertyValue
Headwordnon-rational
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “non-rational” in English

non-rationalsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

non-rational is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for non-rational, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From non- + rational. The correct English form is non-rational, spelled N-O-N---R-A-T-I-O-N-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Contrary to reason; lacking an appropriate or sufficient reason; irrational.
  2. 2
    Lacking the ability to reason.
  3. 3
    Not within the domain of what can be understood or analyzed by reason; outside the competence of the rules of reason.
  4. 4
    Not based on one's own interests; inconsistent with utility maximization.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how non-rational appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Indeed, the tirade against information in effect serves to justify the constriction of the area of rationality and scientific approach, in order to find room for all kinds of non-rational sources of "knowledge."
  2. But what of non-rational beings—the animal or infant-man of attuition?

Etymology

From non- + rational.

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "non-rational"?
"non-rational" is spelled N-O-N---R-A-T-I-O-N-A-L.
What does "non-rational" mean?
As an adjective, "non-rational" means: Contrary to reason; lacking an appropriate or sufficient reason; irrational.
What is the origin of the word "non-rational"?
From non- + rational. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list