rate

1 of 3

noun

1
a
: a quantity, amount, or degree of something measured per unit of something else
her typing rate was 80 words per minute
b
: an amount of payment or charge based on another amount
specifically : the amount of premium per unit of insurance
2
a
: a charge, payment, or price fixed according to a ratio, scale, or standard: such as
(1)
: a charge per unit of a public-service commodity
(2)
: a charge per unit of freight or passenger service
(3)
: a unit charge or ratio used in assessing property taxes
(4)
British : a local tax
b
: a fixed ratio between two things
3
a
: reckoned value : valuation
b
obsolete : estimation
4
: relative condition or quality : class
5
obsolete : a fixed quantity

rate

2 of 3

verb (1)

rated; rating

transitive verb

1
a
: to set an estimate on : value, esteem
talents that are rated highly
b
: to determine or assign the relative rank or class of : grade
rate a seaman
c
: to estimate the normal capacity or power of
2
: consider, regard
was rated an excellent pianist
3
: to have a right to : deserve
she rated special privileges
4
: to fix the amount of premium to be charged per unit of insurance on
5
obsolete : allot

intransitive verb

: to enjoy a status of special privilege
really rates with the boss

rate

3 of 3

verb (2)

rated; rating

transitive verb

1
: to rebuke angrily or violently
2
obsolete : to drive away by scolding

intransitive verb

: to voice angry reprimands
Phrases
at any rate
: in any case : anyway
Choose the Right Synonym for rate

estimate, appraise, evaluate, value, rate, assess mean to judge something with respect to its worth or significance.

estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

estimated the crowd at two hundred

appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

having their house appraised

evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

officials are trying to assess the damage

Examples of rate in a Sentence

Noun The cold weather meant a slower growing rate for many crops. At the rate we're moving, it will be morning before we arrive. People work at different rates. Gun violence is increasing at an alarming rate. Snow was falling at a rate of three inches per hour. There has been a fall in the rate of inflation. Crime rates have declined in recent years. What's the interest rate on the loan? Regular admission to the theater is $12, the student rate is $8, and the rate for senior citizens is $6. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In June 2022, Delta began to pay its 26,000 flight attendants during boarding time at half their usual hourly rate. Ted Reed, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Jean Chung/Bloomberg News South Korea’s central bank held its policy rate steady, as expected, while raising inflation forecasts for this year and the next. Kwanwoo Jun, WSJ, 30 Nov. 2023 Some Wall Street analysts now forecast that the central bank could move to trim its benchmark interest rate by the middle of 2024. Alain Sherter, CBS News, 30 Nov. 2023 But the House is barely performing at its normal rate of functional-dysfunctionality these days (just ask newly-former House speaker Kevin McCarthy). Matt Laslo, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2023 The percentage of Academy members who are women has also increased in that time frame, albeit at a more modest rate, from 26% to 30%. Paul Grein, Billboard, 30 Nov. 2023 That’s an important question in a world where wildlife is experiencing change at a very rapid rate. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023 Israeli officials say Gaza militants still hold around 20 women, who would be released in a few days if the swaps continue at the current rate. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 30 Nov. 2023 As for potential rate increases, Nelson’s group estimates Diablo Canyon produces about 18 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year at a cost between 2023 and 2030 of about 4 cents per kilowatt-hour. Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2023
Verb
Players still rate it as a more prestigious prize than the T20 World Cup. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Google also fixed seven issues in the System, six of which are rated as having a high severity and one marked as critical. Kate O'Flaherty, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2023 Platforms used to offer recommendations based on clear user inputs (consider that Netflix used to ask you to rate a movie out of five stars); now things have gotten murkier as our behavior is tracked and collated in complex, opaque ways. Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 30 Nov. 2023 Although this table is rated for indoor or outdoor use, the manufacturer recommends storing it inside or covering it during rain or snow. Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Nov. 2023 Most people also ask family and friends to rate them first. Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2023 However, of that terrain, more than half is rated expert — and that’s not even counting its glorious backcountry. Consider the famed Corbet's Couloir, one of the steepest open runs in all of North America. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023 It’s rated as 5.12a on the Yosemite Decimal System, a metric used to rate the difficulty of climbing routes on a scale from 5.1 to 5.15. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2023 Skiing and Snowboarding Info Big Sky Resort has more than 5,850 acres of skiable terrain, 21 percent of which are rated beginner, 29 percent intermediate, and 50 percent advanced. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin rata, from Latin (pro) rata (parte) according to a fixed proportion

Verb (2)

Middle English

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 5

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rate was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rate

Cite this Entry

“Rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rate. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

rate

1 of 3 verb
rated; rating
: to scold violently : berate

rate

2 of 3 noun
1
a
: a constant ratio between two things
a rate of exchange
b
: a price or charge set according to a scale or standard
hotel rates
tax rate
2
: a quantity, amount, or degree of something measured in units of something else
the unemployment rate
3
: a level of quality : class

rate

3 of 3 verb
rated; rating
1
: consider sense 3, regard
was rated a good pianist
2
: to set an estimate on : evaluate
3
: to determine the rank, class, or position of : grade
rate a movie
4
: to have a rating : be classed
rates high in math
5
: to have a right to : deserve
rate a promotion
Etymology

Verb

Middle English raten "to scold violently"

Noun

Middle English rate "an estimated or determined value," from early French rate (same meaning), derived from Latin rata, literally, "fixed, determined," from (pro) rata (parte) "according to the fixed proportion"

Medical Definition

rate

noun
1
: a fixed ratio between two things
2
: a quantity, amount, or degree of something measured per unit of something else see death rate, heart rate, metabolic rate, pulse rate, sedimentation rate

Legal Definition

rate

noun
1
: a fixed ratio between two things
2
: a charge, payment, or price fixed according to a ratio, scale, or standard: as
a
: a charge per unit of a commodity provided by a public utility
b
: a charge per unit of freight or passenger service see also joint rate
c
: a unit charge or ratio used in assessing property taxes
3
a
: a quantity, amount, or degree of something measured per unit of something else
b
: an amount of payment or charge based on another amount
specifically : the amount of premium per unit of insurance
rate transitive verb

More from Merriam-Webster on rate

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