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Synonyms

bank rate

American  

noun

  1. the rate of discount fixed by a bank or banks.

  2. British. the discount charge set by a central bank, as by the Bank of England.


bank rate British  

noun

  1. another name for base rate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bank rate

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Government bonds are rallying as inflation worries fade and markets begin to abandon bets on further central bank rate hikes,” said Kallum Pickering, chief economist at Peel Hunt.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Global bond markets experienced a significant selloff as investors reconsidered central bank rate cut bets due to war in the Middle East.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

“This is one of the factors that will guide our monetary policy stance and interest-rate decisions in the months ahead,” the central bank rate setter said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Other lenders have also been lowering their rates ahead of a hoped-for central bank rate cut in August.

From BBC • Jul. 24, 2024

Q. Does the Bank of France sometimes take steps to maintain the bank rate by the purchase of bills in the market or otherwise?

From Readings in Money and Banking Selected and Adapted by Phillips, Chester Arthur