exculpation vs rationalization

exculpation

noun
  • That which exculpates; an excuse. 

  • The act of exculpating from alleged fault or crime. 

rationalization

noun
  • A statement of one's motives, or of the causes of some event. 

  • The concealment of true motivation in some non-threatening way. 

  • The process or result of rationalizing. 

  • The simplification of an expression without changing its value. 

  • A reorganization of a company or organization in order to improve its efficiency. 

How often have the words exculpation and rationalization occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )