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rate

n. · v.
US //ˈɹeɪt// UK //ɹˈeɪt// rate
  1. 1 speed or pace (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    the speed at which something happens or changes over a period of time.

    the relative speed of change, progress, or movement over a specific interval.

    Example

    The car was travelling at a very high rate of speed on the motorway.

    Example

    Economists are concerned that the current rate of inflation will erode the purchasing power of middle-income households by the end of the fiscal year.
  2. 2 price or charge (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a fixed price for a service or a type of product.

    a set price or charge for a commodity or service, often calculated per unit.

    Example

    The hotel offers a special weekly rate for guests staying more than five nights.

    Example

    The consultancy firm increased its hourly rate to reflect the specialised expertise required for international tax litigation.
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  1. 3 proportional measurement (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Math

    a measurement of one thing compared to another.

    the proportional relationship between two different amounts or values.

    Example

    The local birth rate has stayed the same for the last three years.

    Example

    The central bank decided to maintain the interest rate at four percent to encourage domestic investment while stabilising the currency.
  2. 4 to evaluate (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to judge how good or bad something is.

    to assign a value, rank, or level to something based on an evaluation of its quality.

    Example

    Users can rate the app from one to five stars in the store.

    Example

    Critics generally rate her early novels more highly than her later, more experimental works which many found inaccessible.
  3. 5 to think highly of (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    to like someone or something very much.

    to regard someone or something as being of high quality or importance.

    Example

    I don't really rate that new restaurant; the food was quite bland.

    Example

    Although the director is popular with audiences, most serious film scholars don't really rate his contribution to the genre.
  4. 6 ship classification (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Nautical

    a class or rank given to a ship based on its size or strength.

    a classification for naval vessels based on their size, armament, or condition.

    Example

    The vessel was a first-rate ship of the line with over one hundred guns.

    Example

    During the Napoleonic Wars, the British Admiralty used a strict system to determine the rate of each vessel in the fleet based on its number of mounted cannons.
Etymology 1

From Middle English rate, from Old French rate, from Medieval Latin rata, from Latin prō ratā parte (“according to a fixed part”), from ratus (“fixed”), from rērī (“think, deem, judge, estimate", originally "reckon, calculate”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English raten (“to scold, chide”), from Old Norse hrata (“to refuse, reject, slight, find fault with”), from Proto-Germanic hratōną (“to sway, shake”), from Proto-Indo-European krad- (“to swing”). Cognate with Swedish rata (“to reject, refuse, find fault, slight”), Norwegian rata (“to reject, cast aside”), Old English hratian (“to rush, hasten”).

Etymology 3

Related to, or a variant of, ret. (Found dialectally also as rait.)

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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