rate
♦♦♦ rate /r'eɪt/ (rates rating rated)
1 [N-COUNT] with supp
The rate at which something happens is the speed with which it happens.
The rate at which hair grows can be agonisingly slow...
The world's tropical forests are disappearing at an even faster rate than experts had thought.
2 [N-COUNT] with supp
The rate at which something happens is the number of times it happens over a period of time.
New diet books appear at a rate of nearly one a week...
His heart rate was 30 beats per minute slower...
3 [N-COUNT] with supp
A rate is the amount of money that is charged for goods or services.
Calls cost 36p per minute cheap rate and 48p at all other times.
...specially reduced rates for travellers using Gatwick Airport...
see also exchange rate
4 [N-COUNT] with supp
The rate of taxation or interest is the amount of tax or interest that needs to be paid. It is expressed as a percentage of the amount that is earned, gained as profit, or borrowed. (BUSINESS)
The government insisted that it would not be panicked into interest rate cuts.
5 [VERB] no cont, V n adj, V n n, V n as n/adj, V n adv, V adv prep, V-ed
If you rate someone or something as good or bad, you consider them to be good or bad. You can also say that someone or something rates as good or bad.
Of all the men in the survey, they rate themselves the least fun-loving and the most responsible...
Most rated it a hit...
We rate him as one of the best...
She rated the course highly...
Reading books does not rate highly among Britons as a leisure activity.
...the most highly rated player in English football.
6 [VERB] V n
If you rate someone or something, you think that they are good. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
It's flattering to know that other clubs have shown interest and seem to rate me...
7 [V-PASSIVE] no cont, be V-ed n, be V-ed ord
If someone or something is rated at a particular position or rank, they are calculated or considered to be in that position on a list.
He is generally rated Italy's No. 3 industrialist...
He came here rated 100th on the tennis computer.
8 [VERB] no cont, V n
If you say that someone or something rates a particular reaction, you mean that this is the reaction you consider to be appropriate.
This is so extraordinary, it rates a medal and a phone call from the President...
= merit
9
see also rating
10 [PHRASE] PHR with cl
You use at any rate to indicate that what you have just said might be incorrect or unclear in some way, and that you are now being more precise.
She modestly suggests that `sex, or at any rate gender, may account for the difference'...
11 [PHRASE] PHR with cl
You use at any rate to indicate that the important thing is what you are saying now, and not what was said before.
Well, at any rate, let me thank you for all you did.
12 [PHRASE] PHR with cl
If you say that at this rate something bad or extreme will happen, you mean that it will happen if things continue to develop as they have been doing.
At this rate they'd be lucky to get home before eight-thirty or nine.bank rate (bank rates)
[N-COUNT]
The bank rate is the rate of interest at which a bank lends money, especially the minimum rate of interest that banks are allowed to charge, which is decided from time to time by the country's central bank.
...a sterling crisis that forced the bank rate up.base rate (base rates)
[N-COUNT]
In Britain, the base rate is the rate of interest that banks use as a basis when they are calculating the rates that they charge on loans. (BUSINESS)
Bank base rates of 7 per cent are too high.birth rate (birth rates)
also birth-rate
[N-COUNT]
The birth rate in a place is the number of babies born there for every 1000 people during a particular period of time.
The UK has the highest birth rate among 15 to 19-year-olds in Western Europe.
...a falling birth-rate.death rate (death rates)
[N-COUNT]
The death rate is the number of people per thousand who die in a particular area during a particular period of time.
By the turn of the century, Pittsburgh had the highest death rate in the United States.♦ ex|change rate (exchange rates)
[N-COUNT]
The exchange rate of a country's unit of currency is the amount of another country's currency that you get in exchange for it.in|ter|est rate (interest rates)
[N-COUNT]
The interest rate is the amount of interest that must be paid. It is expressed as a percentage of the amount that is borrowed or gained as profit.
The Finance Minister has renewed his call for lower interest rates.lend|ing rate (lending rates)
[N-COUNT]
The lending rate is the rate of interest that you have to pay when you are repaying a loan. (BUSINESS)
The bank left its lending rates unchanged.prime rate (prime rates)
[N-COUNT]
A bank's prime rate is the lowest rate of interest which it charges at a particular time and which is offered only to certain customers. (BUSINESS)
At least one bank cut its prime rate today.rate of ex|change (rates of exchange)
[N-COUNT]
A rate of exchange is the same as an exchange rate.
...four thousand dinars-about four hundred dollars at the official rate of exchange.
= exchange raterate of re|turn (rates of return)
[N-COUNT]
The rate of return on an investment is the amount of profit it makes, often shown as a percentage of the original investment. (BUSINESS)
High rates of return can be earned on these investments.wa|ter rate (water rates)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
In Britain, the charges made for the use of water from the public water supply are known as the water rates.
1 [N-COUNT] with supp
The rate at which something happens is the speed with which it happens.
The rate at which hair grows can be agonisingly slow...
The world's tropical forests are disappearing at an even faster rate than experts had thought.
2 [N-COUNT] with supp
The rate at which something happens is the number of times it happens over a period of time.
New diet books appear at a rate of nearly one a week...
His heart rate was 30 beats per minute slower...
3 [N-COUNT] with supp
A rate is the amount of money that is charged for goods or services.
Calls cost 36p per minute cheap rate and 48p at all other times.
...specially reduced rates for travellers using Gatwick Airport...
see also exchange rate
4 [N-COUNT] with supp
The rate of taxation or interest is the amount of tax or interest that needs to be paid. It is expressed as a percentage of the amount that is earned, gained as profit, or borrowed. (BUSINESS)
The government insisted that it would not be panicked into interest rate cuts.
5 [VERB] no cont, V n adj, V n n, V n as n/adj, V n adv, V adv prep, V-ed
If you rate someone or something as good or bad, you consider them to be good or bad. You can also say that someone or something rates as good or bad.
Of all the men in the survey, they rate themselves the least fun-loving and the most responsible...
Most rated it a hit...
We rate him as one of the best...
She rated the course highly...
Reading books does not rate highly among Britons as a leisure activity.
...the most highly rated player in English football.
6 [VERB] V n
If you rate someone or something, you think that they are good. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
It's flattering to know that other clubs have shown interest and seem to rate me...
7 [V-PASSIVE] no cont, be V-ed n, be V-ed ord
If someone or something is rated at a particular position or rank, they are calculated or considered to be in that position on a list.
He is generally rated Italy's No. 3 industrialist...
He came here rated 100th on the tennis computer.
8 [VERB] no cont, V n
If you say that someone or something rates a particular reaction, you mean that this is the reaction you consider to be appropriate.
This is so extraordinary, it rates a medal and a phone call from the President...
= merit
9
see also rating
10 [PHRASE] PHR with cl
You use at any rate to indicate that what you have just said might be incorrect or unclear in some way, and that you are now being more precise.
She modestly suggests that `sex, or at any rate gender, may account for the difference'...
11 [PHRASE] PHR with cl
You use at any rate to indicate that the important thing is what you are saying now, and not what was said before.
Well, at any rate, let me thank you for all you did.
12 [PHRASE] PHR with cl
If you say that at this rate something bad or extreme will happen, you mean that it will happen if things continue to develop as they have been doing.
At this rate they'd be lucky to get home before eight-thirty or nine.bank rate (bank rates)
[N-COUNT]
The bank rate is the rate of interest at which a bank lends money, especially the minimum rate of interest that banks are allowed to charge, which is decided from time to time by the country's central bank.
...a sterling crisis that forced the bank rate up.base rate (base rates)
[N-COUNT]
In Britain, the base rate is the rate of interest that banks use as a basis when they are calculating the rates that they charge on loans. (BUSINESS)
Bank base rates of 7 per cent are too high.birth rate (birth rates)
also birth-rate
[N-COUNT]
The birth rate in a place is the number of babies born there for every 1000 people during a particular period of time.
The UK has the highest birth rate among 15 to 19-year-olds in Western Europe.
...a falling birth-rate.death rate (death rates)
[N-COUNT]
The death rate is the number of people per thousand who die in a particular area during a particular period of time.
By the turn of the century, Pittsburgh had the highest death rate in the United States.♦ ex|change rate (exchange rates)
[N-COUNT]
The exchange rate of a country's unit of currency is the amount of another country's currency that you get in exchange for it.in|ter|est rate (interest rates)
[N-COUNT]
The interest rate is the amount of interest that must be paid. It is expressed as a percentage of the amount that is borrowed or gained as profit.
The Finance Minister has renewed his call for lower interest rates.lend|ing rate (lending rates)
[N-COUNT]
The lending rate is the rate of interest that you have to pay when you are repaying a loan. (BUSINESS)
The bank left its lending rates unchanged.prime rate (prime rates)
[N-COUNT]
A bank's prime rate is the lowest rate of interest which it charges at a particular time and which is offered only to certain customers. (BUSINESS)
At least one bank cut its prime rate today.rate of ex|change (rates of exchange)
[N-COUNT]
A rate of exchange is the same as an exchange rate.
...four thousand dinars-about four hundred dollars at the official rate of exchange.
= exchange raterate of re|turn (rates of return)
[N-COUNT]
The rate of return on an investment is the amount of profit it makes, often shown as a percentage of the original investment. (BUSINESS)
High rates of return can be earned on these investments.wa|ter rate (water rates)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
In Britain, the charges made for the use of water from the public water supply are known as the water rates.