ratio

[rey-shoh, -shee-oh]

noun

plural

ratios 

1. the relation between two similar magnitudes with respect to the number of times the first contains the second.

   the ratio of 5 to 2, written 5:2 or 5/2.

2. proportional relation; rate.

   the ratio between acceptances and rejections.

3. Finance.,  the relative value of gold and silver in a bimetallic currency system.

4. Sometimes the ratio (on Twitter) the proportion of replies to a tweet compared to the combined number of retweets and likes, where a high ratio usually indicates a barrage of negative replies: LOL, then I added the reply, “Don't mind me, I'm just here for the ratio.”

   How is the Twitter ratio any different from other kinds of outraged cybermobs?

   LOL, then I added the reply, “Don't mind me, I'm just here for the ratio.”

verb (used with object)

ratioed, ratio'd, ratioing. 

1. (on Twitter) to flood (a tweet or its author) with negative replies such that commenters as a group take control of the momentum and message away from the original poster.

   Political pundits trying to write provocative and edgy tweets are going to get ratioed sooner or later.

ratio

/ ˈreɪʃɪˌəʊ /

noun

1. a measure of the relative size of two classes expressible as a proportion

   the ratio of boys to girls is 2 to 1

2. maths a quotient of two numbers or quantities See also proportion

ratio

1. A relationship between two quantities, normally expressed as the quotient of one divided by the other. For example, if a box contains six red marbles and four blue marbles, the ratio of red marbles to blue marbles is 6 to 4, also written 6:4. A ratio can also be expressed as a decimal or percentage.

ratio

1. An expression of the relative size of two numbers by showing one divided by the other.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ratio¹

First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin ratiō “reckoning, account, calculation,” equivalent to rat-, past participle of rērī “to believe, think, imagine” + -iō, noun suffix from verb stems; -tion

Word History and Origins

Origin of ratio¹

C17: from Latin: a reckoning, from rērī to think; see _reason

Example Sentences

Even after the rally, valuations remain grounded—the group is trading slightly below its historic average for the ratio of enterprise value to sales.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And the stock market today is anything but a bargain: The S&P 500 is almost as expensive today, based on its price/earnings ratio, as it was on the eve of the dot-com bust.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They determined the precise color ratio needed to match the spectrum of natural sunlight as closely as possible.

Read more on Science Daily

In comparison, the S&P 500’s weighted forward price/earnings ratio is 23.

Read more on MarketWatch

At 23 times 12 month forward earnings, the index’s price/earnings ratio is unlikely to rise much more.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• proportion 
• quota 
• rate 
• scale 

When To Use

What else does ratio mean?

On the social media platform Twitter, a ratio, or getting ratioed, is when replies to a tweet vastly outnumber likes or retweets. This means people are objecting to the tweet and considering its content bad.