rating

noun

rat·​ing ˈrā-tiŋ 

1

: a classification according to grade

specifically : a military or naval specialist classification

2

chiefly British : an enlisted sailor

3

a

: relative estimate or evaluation : standing

the school has a good academic rating

b

: an estimate of an individual's or business's credit and responsibility

c

: an estimate of the percentage of the public listening to or viewing a particular radio or television program

4

: a stated operating limit of a machine expressible in power units (such as kilowatts of a direct-current generator) or in characteristics (such as voltage)

Examples of rating in a Sentence

The school has an above-average academic rating.

The article compares the fuel-economy ratings of various cars.

Recent Examples on the Web

Read on for more in-flight accessories to make your next plane ride more comfy and enjoyable, from a $15 footrest to a travel pillow with almost 10,000 perfect Amazon ratings. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2026

For a team that posted the best fourth-quarter net rating in franchise history during the 2025-26 regular season, the finish was jarring. —C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026

There is no exploration of Michaels’ eye for talent, ability to manage NBC’s corporate seas and television’s ratings pressures. —Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026

Topics include the adoption of a decimal rating system, the indie rock boom, and the inside story of the site’s acquisition by Condé Nast. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rating

• approval rating
• credit rating
• Q rating
• self-rating

Rhymes for rating

• baiting
• bating
• crating
• dating
• freighting
• gating
• grating
• hating
• mating
• plaiting
• plating
• prating

Kids Definition

rating

noun

rat·​ing

ˈrāt-iŋ

: a position within a grading system

credit rating