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
Analyst David George downgraded the bank to an underperform rating from neutral.
—
Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026
Maye had a better completion percentage, more yards per attempt, a higher passing rating, more rushing yards, and did it with less supporting talent on offense.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Platinum Winner airline Qatar Airways, which in 2025 was named the world’s best airline by air transport rating organization Skytrax, added another award to its shelf by being named the Platinum Winner airline.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
This Heeta option has more than 115,000 perfect ratings and 2,000-plus people purchased it in the past month, per Amazon.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rating
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Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026
Maye had a better completion percentage, more yards per attempt, a higher passing rating, more rushing yards, and did it with less supporting talent on offense.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Platinum Winner airline Qatar Airways, which in 2025 was named the world’s best airline by air transport rating organization Skytrax, added another award to its shelf by being named the Platinum Winner airline.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
This Heeta option has more than 115,000 perfect ratings and 2,000-plus people purchased it in the past month, per Amazon.
—Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rating
Cite this Entry
“Rating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rating. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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