DictionaryAI

rate

RAYT/ɹeɪt/

Pluralrates

Verbrates, rating, rated

22 meanings of rate

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  1. 1
    proportionnouncountable or uncountable
    The proportional relationship between one amount or value and another, often expressed as a ratio.

    The town's unemployment rate fell to four percent, so four in every hundred workers lacked a job.

    The clinic's success rate is high, with nine out of ten patients fully recovering.

    UsageOften after another noun (exchange rate, success rate) or in at the rate of: at the rate of four a year.

    Note

    The phrase to know is at the rate of, followed by a quantity and what it is measured against: pictures at the rate of four a year, replies at the rate of ten to one. A rate always has two terms, even when one goes unsaid. A response rate of 3% means three respondents for every hundred people reached.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • A rate relates two quantities, including when one is implicit. en.wikipedia.org
    • A 3% response rate means three respondents per hundred people reached. Respondents need not become buyers. uspsdelivers.com
  2. 2
    nouncountable or uncountable
    The speed at which something moves, happens, changes, or makes progress over time.

    Scientists tracked the rate at which the glacier was melting.

    The company expanded at an impressive rate over five years.

    UsageUsually at a fast rate, at the rate of, or the rate at which something happens.

    Similarpace, speed, velocity

  3. 3
    nouncountable or uncountable
    A fixed price or charge for something, especially goods, services, or work paid per hour, day, or other unit.

    The plumber quoted a standard rate for any job under two hours.

    Postal rates increased across all package sizes this year.

    UsageOften a flat rate, an hourly rate, a special rate; you are paid at a rate of so much an hour.

    Similarcharge, fee, price, tariff

  4. 4
    verbtransitive
    To assign someone or something a particular rank, level, or quality; to consider or regard as being of a certain standard.

    Critics rate the film among the best of the decade.

    The agency rates hotels from one to five stars.

    UsageOften passive: be rated fourth, rated five stars; also rate something highly or rate it among the best.

    Similarrank, grade, consider, judge, assess

  5. 5
    verbtransitive
    To evaluate or estimate the worth or value of something.

    Before the auction, an expert rated the old painting at far more than the family had guessed.

    Most fans rate the original film far above its sequel, though the sequel made more money.

    Similarevaluate, assess, appraise, value, estimate

    Note

    Robert South's sermon False Foundations Removed (preached in 1661) observes that to rate a man by the nature of his companions is a frequent rule, "but not infallible."

  6. 6
    classnouncountable or uncountable
    A class to which a ship was assigned according to its size and condition, and by extension its rank.

    Ships of the first rate carried the most guns and the largest crews.

    As a ship of the third rate, the vessel was smaller than the great flagships of the fleet.

    UsageUsually a ship of the first rate; the adjective is hyphenated: a first-rate ship.

    Similarclass, rank

    Note

    Warships in the age of sail were graded by the guns they mounted, from first rate down to sixth rate. The top of that scale escaped the navy entirely, and first-rate now praises a textbook as readily as a ship.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Age-of-sail warships were classified by their gun numbers, with rates running from first to sixth. rmg.co.uk
    • First-rate extended from naval classification into general praise. en.wikipedia.org

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–19

Latin rērī ("to think, judge, estimate," at first "to reckon, calculate") produced ratus ("fixed"), used in the phrase prō ratā parte, meaning "according to a fixed part." Medieval Latin rata came from this, and it led to Old French rate and Middle English rate.

Meaning 20

Proto-Indo-European *krad- ("to swing") led to Proto-Germanic *hratōną ("to sway, shake") and Old Norse hrata ("to refuse, reject, find fault with"). Middle English took this as raten ("to scold, chide"). Swedish rata and Norwegian rata ("to reject") are cognates.

Meaning 21

This word is either a variant of ret or related to it. Some dialects also have it in the form rait.