rate

[ reyt ]

/ reɪt /

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See synonyms for: rate / rated / rates / rating on Thesaurus.com

noun

the amount of a charge or payment with reference to some basis of calculation: a high rate of interest on loans.

a certain quantity or amount of one thing considered in relation to a unit of another thing and used as a standard or measure: at the rate of 60 miles an hour.

a fixed charge per unit of quantity: a rate of 10 cents a pound.

price; cost: to cut rates on all home furnishings.

degree of speed, progress, etc.: to work at a rapid rate.

degree or comparative extent of action or procedure: the rate of increase in work output.

relative condition or quality; grade, class, or sort.

assigned position in any of a series of graded classes; rating.

Insurance. the premium charge per unit of insurance.

a charge by a common carrier for transportation, sometimes including certain services involved in rendering such transportation.

a wage paid on a specified time basis: a salary figured on an hourly rate.

a charge or price established in accordance with a scale or standard: hotel rates based on length of stay.

Horology. the relative adherence of a timepiece to perfect timekeeping, measured in terms of the amount of time gained or lost within a certain period.

Usually rates. British.

a tax on property for some local purpose.
any tax assessed and paid to a local government, as any city tax or district tax.

verb (used with object), rat·ed, rat·ing.

to estimate the value or worth of; appraise: to rate a student's class performance.

to esteem, consider, or account: He was rated one of the best writers around.

to fix at a certain rate, as of charge or payment.

to value for purposes of taxation or the like.

to make subject to the payment of a certain rate or tax.

to place in a certain rank, class, etc., as a ship or a sailor; give a specific rating to.

to be considered or treated as worthy of; merit: an event that doesn't even rate a mention in most histories of the period.

to arrange for the conveyance of (goods) at a certain rate.

verb (used without object), rat·ed, rat·ing.

to have value, standing, etc.: a performance that didn't rate very high in the competition.

to have position in a certain class.

to rank very high in estimation: The new teacher really rates with our class.

OTHER WORDS FOR rate

5 pace; tempo.

15 rank, classify, measure.

See synonyms for rate on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms about rate

at any rate,

in any event; in any case.
at least: It was a mediocre film, but at any rate there was one outstanding individual performance.

Origin of rate

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English noun rate “monetary amount, value, estimated amount, proportional part,” fromOld French rate and Medieval Latin rata, from Latin (prō) ratā (parte) “(according to) an estimated (part),” ratā ablative singular of rata, feminine of ratus, past participle of rērī “to judge”; verb derivative of the noun

Other definitions for rate (2 of 2)

rate²

[ reyt ]

/ reɪt /

verb (used with or without object), rat·ed, rat·ing.

to chide vehemently; scold.

Origin of rate

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English raten, araten; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Swedish, Norwegian rata “to reject, cast aside”; or from Old French rateir, raiter, reter “to find fault with, blame”

OTHER WORDS FROM rate

rater, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use rate in a sentence

It said the committee’s work was probably done, at any rate.
Supreme Court postpones hearing on congressional effort to obtain secret Mueller material|Robert Barnes|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
The rate of coronavirus spread across the greater Washington region has doubled since the start of November, pushing the number of average daily cases to a record Friday for a 17th consecutive day.
National Harbor curfew issued for minors as D.C. region sets coronavirus record for 17th day|Rachel Chason, Dana Hedgpeth, Fenit Nirappil|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
All the virtual consultations are covered without an additional payment and in-person or specialty consultations come at a 30% reduced rate to an out-of-pocket payment, according to Sanchez.
Index ventures into Latin America to back Sofia, a Mexico City-based telemedicine and health insurer|Jonathan Shieber|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
Officials said the university lab would provide the tests for $40 per specimen, about half the going rate.
Hogan’s first batch of coronavirus tests from South Korea were flawed, never used|Steve Thompson|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

Again, there is a noticeably lower rate of infection among younger students than among staff, suggesting that sending children in these neighborhoods to school for in-person instruction would not increase the danger of their contracting covid-19.
Schools are not spreading covid-19. This new data explains why.|Emily Oster|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
She thought about moving the show to New York City, where the number-two-rated This Week is sometimes filmed.
David Gregory's 'Meet the Press' Eviction Exposed in Washingtonian Takedown|Lloyd Grove|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As Americans, we still have a right to air both our dirty laundry and our R-Rated films.
Should the U.S. Really Pay a Kim’s Ransom?|Kevin Bleyer|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kids, often more tech savvy than their parents, ogle XXX-rated photos and videos before they are legally old enough to do so.
The Next Frontier of Sex Ed: How Porn Twists Teens’ Brains|Aurora Snow|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nintendo stepped in, making this the first M-rated game the company has published since Geist in 2005 (and only their third ever).
Bayonetta Is Nintendo’s Graphic, Ass-Kicking Barbie|Alec Kubas-Meyer|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Kentucky Senate race is rated a toss-up, but most insiders think McConnell has it.
And Now Mitch McConnell Is the ‘Pro-Woman’ Candidate!|Eleanor Clift|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bonaparte at once summoned Lannes, rated him soundly, and commanded him immediately to refund the money.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
The country clergy are without doubt the most over-rated persons in the country—I mean, of course, from a fiscal point of view.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 158, April 28, 1920|Various
Leech, the caricaturist,—one of the most absurdly over-rated men of this century,—was at Charterhouse from 1825 to 1831.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper
Followed as a sole object, it loses its charm, because we perceive it is then over-rated.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
An angel in theory, the corporeal woman is soundly rated if dinner is late, or a room unswept.
Alone|Marion Harland

British Dictionary definitions for rate (1 of 2)

rate¹

/ (reɪt) /

noun

a quantity or amount considered in relation to or measured against another quantity or amounta rate of 70 miles an hour

a price or charge with reference to a standard or scalerate of interest; rate of discount
(as modifier)a rate card

a charge made per unit for a commodity, service, etc

See rates

the relative speed of progress or change of something variable; pacehe works at a great rate; the rate of production has doubled

relative quality; class or grade
(in combination)first-rate ideas

statistics a measure of the frequency of occurrence of a given event, such as births and deaths, usually expressed as the number of times the event occurs for every thousand of the total population considered

a wage calculated against a unit of time

the amount of gain or loss of a timepiece

at any rate in any case; at all events; anyway

verb (mainly tr)

(also intr) to assign or receive a position on a scale of relative values; rankhe is rated fifth in the world

to estimate the value of; evaluatewe rate your services highly

to be worthy of; deservethis hotel does not rate four stars

to consider; regardI rate him among my friends

British to assess the value of (property) for the purpose of local taxation

slang to think highly ofthe clients do not rate the new system

Word Origin for rate

C15: from Old French, from Medieval Latin rata, from Latin prō ratā parte according to a fixed proportion, from ratus fixed, from rērī to think, decide

British Dictionary definitions for rate (2 of 2)

rate²

/ (reɪt) /

verb

(tr) to scold or criticize severely; rebuke harshly

Word Origin for rate

C14: perhaps related to Swedish rata to chide

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with rate

rate

see at any rate; at this rate; x-rated.

rate

OTHER WORDS FOR rate

Idioms about rate

Origin of rate

Other definitions for rate (2 of 2)

Origin of rate

OTHER WORDS FROM rate

Words related to rate

How to use rate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rate (1 of 2)

Word Origin for rate

British Dictionary definitions for rate (2 of 2)

Word Origin for rate

Other Idioms and Phrases with rate