ratio

noun ra·tio \ ˈrā-(ˌ)shō , -shē-ˌō \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of ratio

plural ratios

1 a : the indicated quotient of two mathematical expressions

b : the relationship in quantity, amount, or size between two or more things : proportion

2 : the expression of the relative values of gold and silver as determined by a country's currency laws

See ratio defined for English-language learners

See ratio defined for kids

Examples of ratio in a Sentence

What is the length-to-width ratio?
the ratio of students to teachers in the school is nine to one

Recent Examples of ratio from the Web

Today, women still make up just a fraction of the car-racing industry, but Miller has spent much of the past 10 years trying to put a dent in that ratio.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Leucadian behind wheel of all-women off-road event," 15 Apr. 2018
There are currently 51 Republicans and 49 senators who caucus with the Democrats — though that ratio is often 50/49 as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) undergoes treatment for brain cancer.

— amber phillips, Washington Post, "Trump wants the Senate to get rid of the filibuster. Good luck with that.," 3 Apr. 2018
Despite 2017 pitchers improving that ratio to 2.5 with 8.3 strikeouts and 3.3 walks per nine innings, team home runs per nine innings are up 71 percent from 0.76 to 1.3.

— phil rosenthal, chicagotribune.com, "Pitched as a timeless game, baseball's changeup is surprisingly effective," 26 Mar. 2018
After October 2015, that ratio rose to around 10 girls out of every 300 inmates.

— lawahez jabari, NBC News, "Slap heard ‘round the world: Ahed Tamimi becomes symbol of Palestinian resistance," 10 Mar. 2018
That perfect ratio of lime and tequila, sweet and sour, is a classic crowd pleaser.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Best Margaritas to Drink in L.A. Right Now," 19 Feb. 2018
That ratio was at 11.7 percent in the quarter, down 0.3 percentage point from the end of September, though still above its target.

— fabio benedetti valentini, Bloomberg.com, "Credit Agricole Bucks Trend as Lender Sees Resilient Trading," 14 Feb. 2018
Paying down an installment loan over time helps that ratio.

— liz weston, OregonLive.com, "Liz Weston: Credit score rehabilitation is all about consistency, time," 11 Feb. 2018
Paying down an installment loan over time helps that ratio.

— liz weston, latimes.com, "Here are some ways you can improve your credit scores," 4 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ratio.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ratio

Latin, computation, reason — more at reason

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1660

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

ratio Synonyms

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

RATIO Defined for English Language Learners

ratio

noun

Definition of ratio for English Language Learners

: the relationship that exists between the size, number, or amount of two things and that is often represented by two numbers

RATIO Defined for Kids

ratio

noun ra·tio \ ˈrā-shō , -shē-ˌō \

Definition of ratio for Students

plural ratios

: the relationship in number or quantity between two or more things

the ratio of teachers to students

Medical Dictionary

ratio

noun ra·tio \ ˈrā-(ˌ)shō, -shē-ˌō \

medical Definition of ratio

plural ratios

: the relationship in quantity, amount, or size between two or more things — see sex ratio

Learn More about ratio

See words that rhyme with ratio Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ratio Spanish Central: Translation of ratio Nglish: Translation of ratio for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ratio for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ratio

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ratio

Definition of ratio

Examples of ratio in a Sentence

Recent Examples of ratio from the Web

Origin and Etymology of ratio

ratio Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

RATIO Defined for English Language Learners

ratio

Definition of ratio for English Language Learners

RATIO Defined for Kids

ratio

Definition of ratio for Students

Medical Dictionary

ratio

medical Definition of ratio

Learn More about ratio

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