Where does “rationalism” come from?

Rationalism comes from English rational plus the suffix -ism, from Ancient Greek -ισμός, Latin rationalis derived from Latin -alis and Latin -tio suffixes applied to Latin reor meaning to think or believe, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -tis.

rationalism (English): The theory that the reason is a source of...

Definitions

  1. The theory that the reason is a source of...

Ancestry of “rationalism”, step by step

rationalism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English rational

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrationalCapable of reasoning; Logically sound; not...
2Frenchrationalitérationality
3Frenchrationnelrational
4Latinrationalisaccounts; rational, reasonable, of or possessing...
5Latinratiōreason, reasoning, explanation, ground, motive, rationality, rationale, purpose
6Latin-tiōtion, -ation, -ing
7Latindissertātiō(spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition
8Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
9Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
10Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
11Latincalceusshoe
12Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
13Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

via French rationalisme

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchrationalismerationalism
2French-ïsme-ism, variant of -isme following vowels
3Latin-ismaAlternative form of -ismus; -ism
4Latin-ismus-ism
5Ancient Greek-ισμόςForms abstract nouns
6Ancient Greek-μόςForms abstract nouns
7Proto-Indo-European-mósCreates action/result nouns from verb stems

Words derived from “rationalism

Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ
rationalism — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer