rating

¹ American  

[rey-ting] / ˈreɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. classification according to grade or rank.

2. assigned position in a particular class or grade, or relative standing, as of a ship or a member of the armed forces.

3. the credit standing of a person or firm.

4. Radio, Television. a percentage indicating the number of listeners to or viewers of a specific program.

5. a designated operating limit for a machine, apparatus, etc., as of voltage, load, or frequency, based on specified conditions.

6. an amount fixed as a rate.

7. British. apportioning of a tax.

8. Chiefly British. one of the enlisted personnel in the British navy.

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rating ² American  

[rey-ting] / ˈreɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. an angry reprimand or rebuke; scolding.

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rating ¹ British  

/ ˈreɪtɪŋ /

noun

1. a classification according to order or grade; ranking

2. (in certain navies) a sailor who holds neither commissioned nor warrant rank; an ordinary seaman

3. sailing a handicap assigned to a racing boat based on its dimensions, sail area, weight, draught, etc

4. the estimated financial or credit standing of a business enterprise or individual

5. radio television a figure based on statistical sampling indicating what proportion of the total listening and viewing audience tune in to a specific programme or network

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rating ² British  

/ ˈreɪtɪŋ /

noun

1. a sharp scolding or rebuke

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Etymology

Origin of rating¹

First recorded in 1525–35; rat(e) ¹ + -ing ¹

Origin of rating²

First recorded in 1570–80; rat(e) ² + -ing ¹

Explanation

A rating is a valuation or rank on a scale. Hotels are often ranked from zero to five stars, so a fancy hotel with loads of amenities (like a pool and plush bathrobes) will usually have a five-star rating. A movie gets a rating based on which audience it’s appropriate for – as in, rated G for kids or rated R for adults. When a TV show gets good ratings, then a lot of people watch it. Before you buy an expensive item, like a bike or an appliance, you can read its ratings online, and once you've tried it out, you can provide your own rating.

Example Sentences

Leerink Partners analyst Whit Mayo reiterated an Outperform rating on the stock Tuesday, citing the “sizable Optum Health outperformance.”

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

The brokerage maintains its buy rating on the stock and $34.00 target price.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

While he hasn’t yet flipped to bullish, O’Connor raised his rating on Intel shares to neutral Tuesday, ahead of the company’s earnings report slated for Thursday.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

Regardless of what happens, the Street is positive on the stock, with almost 80% of analysts who cover the company rating shares Buy.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

They cooked up a plan to seek revenge upon the rating agencies, for instance.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• appraisal
• assessment
• category
• valuation