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rate1

Pronunciation: /reɪt/

Translate rate | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of rate

noun

  • 1a measure, quantity, or frequency, typically one measured against another quantity or measure:the island has the lowest crime rate in the world buying up sites at a rate of one a month
  • the speed with which something moves or happens:the band is shedding vocalists at an alarming rate your heart rate
  • 2a fixed price paid or charged for something:a £3.40 minimum hourly rate of pay advertising rates
  • the amount of a charge or payment expressed as a percentage of another amount, or as a basis of calculation:you’ll find our current interest rate very competitive
  • (rates) (in the UK) a tax on commercial land and buildings paid to a local authority; (in Northern Ireland and formerly in the UK) a tax levied on private property.

verb

  • 1 [with object] assign a standard or value to (something) according to a particular scale:they were asked to rate their ability at different driving manoeuvres [with object and complement]:the hotel, rated four star, had no hot water
  • [with object and adverbial] assign a standard, optimal, or limiting rating to (a piece of equipment):the average life of the new bulb is rated at approximately 500 hours
  • (in the UK) assess the value of (a property) for the purpose of levying a local tax.
  • 2 [with object and adverbial] consider to be of a certain quality or standard:Atkinson rates him as Europe’s top defender [with object and complement]:the program has been rated a great success
  • [no object, with adverbial] be regarded in a specified way:Jeff still rates as one of the nicest people I have ever met
  • [with object] informal have a high opinion of:Mike certainly rated her, goodness knows why
  • [with object] be worthy of; merit:the ambassador rated a bulletproof car and a police escort

Phrases

at any rate

whatever happens or may have happened:for the moment, at any rate, he was safe
used to clarify or emphasize a statement:the story, or at any rate, a public version of it, was known and remembered

at this (or that) rate

if matters continue in this or that way:at this rate, I won’t have a job to go back to

rate of return

the annual income from an investment expressed as a proportion (usually a percentage) of the original investment.

Origin:

late Middle English (expressing a notion of 'estimated value'): from Old French, from medieval Latin rata (from Latin pro rata parte (or portione) 'according to the proportional share'), from ratus 'reckoned', past participle of reri

rate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of rate in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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