/ reɪt; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a measurement of the speed at which sth happens :
Most people walk at an average rate of 5 kilometres an hour.
The number of reported crimes is increasing at an alarming rate.
Figures published today show another fall in the rate of inflation.
At the rate you work, you'll never finish!
2.
[ C ] a measurement of the number of times sth happens or exists during a particular period :
Local businesses are closing at a / the rate of three a year.
a high / low / rising rate of unemployment
the annual crime / divorce rate
His pulse rate dropped suddenly.
a high success / failure rate
—see also birth rate , death rate
3.
[ C ] a fixed amount of money that is charged or paid for sth :
advertising / insurance / postal, etc. rates
a low / high hourly rate of pay
We offer special reduced rates for students.
a fixed-rate mortgage (= one in which the amount of money paid back each month is fixed for a particular period)
the basic rate of tax (= the lowest amount that is paid by everyone)
exchange / interest rates
rates of exchange / interest
—see also base rate , flat rate , rack rate
4.
rates [ pl. ] (in Britain) a tax paid by businesses to a local authority for land and buildings that they use and in the past also paid by anyone who owned a house
—see also first-rate , second-rate , third-rate
•
IDIOMS
- at any rate
- at a rate of knots
- at this / that rate
—more at going adjective
■ verb (not used in the progressive tenses)
1.
rate sb/sth (as) sth | rate as sth to have or think that sb/sth has a particular level of quality, value, etc. :
[ vn ]
The university is highly rated for its research.
They rated him highly as a colleague.
[ vn - adj ]
Voters continue to rate education high on their list of priorities.
[ vn - n ]
The show was rated (as) a success by critics and audiences.
[ v ]
The match rated as one of their worst defeats.
[ v - adj ]
I'm afraid our needs do not rate very high with this administration.
2.
[ vn ] ( informal ) to think that sb/sth is good :
What did you think of the movie? I didn't rate it myself.
3.
[ usually passive ] to place sb/sth in a particular position on a scale in relation to similar people or things
SYN rank :
[ vn ]
The schools were rated according to their exam results.
a top-rated programme
[ vn - n ]
She is currently rated number two in the world.
4.
[ vn ] to be good, important, etc. enough to be treated in a particular way
SYN merit :
The incident didn't even rate a mention in the press.
5.
[ vn ] [ usually passive ] to state that a film / movie or video is suitable for a particular audience
—see also X-rated , zero-rated
••
SYNONYMS
rate
charge ♦ fee ♦ rent ♦ dues ♦ toll ♦ rental ♦ tariff
These are all words for an amount of money that is charged or paid for sth.
rate
a fixed amount of money that is asked or paid for sth:
a low hourly rate of pay
•
interest rates
charge
an amount of money that is asked for goods or services:
an admission charge
fee
( rather formal ) an amount of money that you have to pay for professional advice or services, to go to a school or college, or to join an organization:
legal fees
•
an annual membership fee
rent
an amount of money that you regularly have to pay for use of a building or room.
NOTE
In American English, rent can be used to mean rental :
The weekly rent on the car was over $200.
dues
an amount of money that you have to pay so that you can be a member of an organization.
toll
an amount of money that you have to pay to use a particular road or bridge.
rental
an amount of money that you have to pay to use sth for a particular period of time.
rent or rental?
In British English rent is only money paid to use a building or room: for other items use rental . In American English rent can be used for both, but rental is still more common for other items.
tariff
( rather formal ) a list of fixed prices that are charged by a hotel or restaurant for rooms or meals, or by a company for a particular service.
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
to pay (a) rate / charge / fee / rent / dues / toll / rental for / on sth
to do sth at a rate / charge / fee / rent / rental of...
to do sth for a charge / fee
to pay (a) rate / charge / fee / rent / dues / toll / rental
to charge (a) rate / fee / rent / dues / toll / rental
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (expressing a notion of estimated value ): from Old French , from medieval Latin rata (from Latin pro rata parte (or portione ) according to the proportional share), from ratus reckoned, past participle of reri .