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

Can Atlanta’s defense, which ranks among the top half of teams in both sacks and quarterback rating, similarly harass Jones? —Mike Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025

The show, which pairs celebrity contestants with ballroom dancing pros, represents a white whale for network television – a linear program, on air for two decades, riding a ratings wave. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025

The wireless bra has racked up an impressive 10,000-plus five-star ratings from shoppers. —Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025

There is also the matter of ratings. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025

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