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
rated; rating
1
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
: to enjoy a status of special privilege
really rates with the boss
rated; rating
: to voice angry reprimands
Synonyms
Noun
Verb (1)
Verb (2)
Examples of rate in a Sentence
Verb (1)
how does a summer intern rate a new computer when I've been told to make do with this clunker?
nowadays most motorists would probably rate their cell phone as an "essential" piece of electronic equipment
a restaurant that consistently rates high in all the standard categories
I would rate her my best friend; after all, she's always been there when I needed her
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.
Verb (2)
a tyrannical father who usually spent most of dinnertime rating his children on their alleged multitude of failings
Recent Examples on the Web
Shannon Carlin, TIME, 22 May 2024
The suburban-style homes around them, though, pay at a residential rate — and have no workaround.
—Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2024
From the year 2000, that rate accelerated to more than 2.6% per year.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024
The new bond was not expected to raise property taxes for Nampa residents but to keep taxes similar to the current rate citizens pay for an expiring bond, according to the city.
—Rachel Spacek, Idaho Statesman, 22 May 2024
If Homeland Security agents continue collecting DNA at the rate the agency projects, one-third of the profiles in the federal database used for criminal investigations will be from migrants and immigrants, researchers projected.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024
In addition to appointee win rates, many complex and interrelated factors influence the rate of appointments in states with judicial elections, none of which fully explains the practice in Georgia or Minnesota.
—Bryna Godar, The Conversation, 21 May 2024
Higher debt loads could lead to higher interest rates, which would flow down to consumers in the form of more expensive mortgages and auto loans.
—Josh Boak, Fortune, 10 May 2024
Advertisement Last year’s fertility rate — the number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime on average — was among the lowest in the world, at 0.72, far short of the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024
Sari Hitchins, Parents, 22 May 2024
Consumer Reports notes that for the first time all the choices have a good or acceptable rating in the IIHS driver-side small overlap test, which rates cars for their performance when a front corner collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 22 May 2024
Products that cause hair to feel stiff, crunchy, or sticky were rated lower than lightweight formulations.
—Genevieve Cepeda, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024
Movies start at 7:30 p.m. Movies are rated PG unless noted.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 21 May 2024
But his performance in Parliament in recent years has been rated poorly, Mr. Azizi said.
—Erika Solomon, New York Times, 21 May 2024
Beaches Resort also created a sensory guide in 2023 for each of its properties to rate the loud areas and designated quiet zones of the resort on a scale of 1-10.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 19 May 2024
In May, much of Canada is rated average or above-average.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 17 May 2024
And at this point, no one is ever going to really rate the person that actually is the most popular to win at the end.
—Ben Rosenstock, TIME, 10 May 2024
Noun
Amid an unidentified pandemic, her mom becomes the unwitting leader of a cult, her younger sister uses sophisticated virtual reality technology to keep in touch with their dead dad, and their neighbors start going missing at an alarming rate.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 22 May 2024
The suburban-style homes around them, though, pay at a residential rate — and have no workaround.
—Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2024
From the year 2000, that rate accelerated to more than 2.6% per year.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024
The new bond was not expected to raise property taxes for Nampa residents but to keep taxes similar to the current rate citizens pay for an expiring bond, according to the city.
—Rachel Spacek, Idaho Statesman, 22 May 2024
If Homeland Security agents continue collecting DNA at the rate the agency projects, one-third of the profiles in the federal database used for criminal investigations will be from migrants and immigrants, researchers projected.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024
In addition to appointee win rates, many complex and interrelated factors influence the rate of appointments in states with judicial elections, none of which fully explains the practice in Georgia or Minnesota.
—Bryna Godar, The Conversation, 21 May 2024
Higher debt loads could lead to higher interest rates, which would flow down to consumers in the form of more expensive mortgages and auto loans.
—Josh Boak, Fortune, 10 May 2024
Advertisement Last year’s fertility rate — the number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime on average — was among the lowest in the world, at 0.72, far short of the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024
Verb
But parents, the movie is rated PG, so there may be some scenes of action and adventure that your little one may find a bit scary at times.
—Sari Hitchins, Parents, 22 May 2024
Consumer Reports notes that for the first time all the choices have a good or acceptable rating in the IIHS driver-side small overlap test, which rates cars for their performance when a front corner collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 22 May 2024
Products that cause hair to feel stiff, crunchy, or sticky were rated lower than lightweight formulations.
—Genevieve Cepeda, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024
Movies start at 7:30 p.m. Movies are rated PG unless noted.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 21 May 2024
But his performance in Parliament in recent years has been rated poorly, Mr. Azizi said.
—Erika Solomon, New York Times, 21 May 2024
Beaches Resort also created a sensory guide in 2023 for each of its properties to rate the loud areas and designated quiet zones of the resort on a scale of 1-10.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 19 May 2024
In May, much of Canada is rated average or above-average.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 17 May 2024
And at this point, no one is ever going to really rate the person that actually is the most popular to win at the end.
—Ben Rosenstock, TIME, 10 May 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near rate
Cite this Entry
“Rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rate. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rate
2 of 3 noun1
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
noun1
: 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
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