rater

American  

[rey-ter] / ˈreɪ tər /

noun

1. a person who makes rates or ratings.

2. a person or thing that is of a specific rating (usually used in combination).

   The show's star is a first-rater.

3. Slang. any of various small, popular yachts belonging to standard classes.

---

Etymology

Origin of rater

First recorded in 1605–15; rate ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Credit rater Moody's said its baseline scenario was for the conflict to be "relatively short-lived, likely a matter of weeks".

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

System-wide sales growth rose at a faster rater in the quarter, up 5.8% compared with 5.6% a year earlier, taking system-wide sales to $12.13 billion, from $11.28 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

RaterLab is what’s known as a quality rater, a third-party contractor that helps evaluate the quality and relevance of websites that appear in search results, according to media reports.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 7, 2024

It should be well blended but use mostly a folding-in method rater than a hard, aggressive stirring.

From Salon • Nov. 16, 2023

With cylinders of 4.25 inches bore and 4.75 inches stroke, the rater power was developed at 1,150 revolutions per minute, and with the engine complete the weight was only 4.75 lbs. per horse-power.

From A History of Aeronautics by Vivian, Evelyn Charles