rate (rates plural & 3rd person present) (rating present participle) (rated past tense & past participle )
1 n-count The rate at which something happens is the speed with which it happens.
with supp
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 The rate at which something happens is the number of times it happens over a period of time.
with supp
New diet books appear at a rate of nearly one a week..., His heart rate was 30 beats per minute slower...
3 n-count A rate is the amount of money that is charged for goods or services.
with supp
Calls cost 36p per minute cheap rate and 48p at all other times., ...specially reduced rates for travellers using Gatwick Airport...
→
exchange rate
4 n-count 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) with supp
The government insisted that it would not be panicked into interest rate cuts.
5 verb 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.
no cont
Of all the men in the survey, they rate themselves the least fun-loving and the most responsible... V n adj
Most rated it a hit... V n n
We rate him as one of the best... V n as n/adj
She rated the course highly... V n adv
Reading books does not rate highly among Britons as a leisure activity. V adv prep
...the most highly rated player in English football. V-ed
6 verb 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... V n
7 v-passive 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.
no cont
He is generally rated Italy's No. 3 industrialist... be V-ed n
He came here rated 100th on the tennis computer. be V-ed ord
8 verb If you say that someone or something rates a particular reaction, you mean that this is the reaction you consider to be appropriate.
no cont
(=merit)
This is so extraordinary, it rates a medal and a phone call from the President... V n
10 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.
at any rate phrase PHR with cl
She modestly suggests that `sex, or at any rate gender, may account for the difference'...
11 You use at any rate to indicate that the important thing is what you are saying now, and not what was said before.
at any rate phrase PHR with cl
Well, at any rate, let me thank you for all you did.
12 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 phrase PHR with cl At this rate they'd be lucky to get home before eight-thirty or nine.
bank rate (bank rates plural )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. n-count
...a sterling crisis that forced the bank rate up.
base rate (base rates plural )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) n-count
Bank base rates of 7 per cent are too high.
birth rate (birth rates plural ), birth-rate The birth rate in a place is the number of babies born there for every 1000 people during a particular period of time. n-count
The UK has the highest birth rate among 15 to 19-year-olds in Western Europe., ...a falling birth-rate.
cut-rate
Cut-rate goods or services are cheaper than usual. adj ADJ n
(=cut-price)
...cut-rate auto insurance.
death rate (death rates plural )The death rate is the number of people per thousand who die in a particular area during a particular period of time. n-count
By the turn of the century, Pittsburgh had the highest death rate in the United States.
exchange rate (exchange rates plural )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. n-count
first-rate , first rate
If you say that something or someone is first-rate, you mean that they are extremely good and of the highest quality. adj
(approval)
(=first-class)
People who used his service knew they were dealing with a first-rate professional.
interest rate (interest rates plural )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. n-count
The Finance Minister has renewed his call for lower interest rates.
lending rate (lending rates plural )The lending rate is the rate of interest that you have to pay when you are repaying a loan. (BUSINESS) n-count
The bank left its lending rates unchanged.
prime rate (prime rates plural )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) n-count
At least one bank cut its prime rate today.
rate-cap (rate-caps plural & 3rd person present) (rate-capping present participle) (rate-capped past tense & past participle )
1 verb In Britain, when a local council was rate-capped, the government prevented it from increasing local taxes called rates, in order to force the council to reduce its spending or make it more efficient.
usu passive
Notts County Council is to cut 200 jobs in a bid to escape being rate-capped. be V-ed
rate-capping n-uncount
The project is seriously threatened by rate-capping.
2 n-count A rate cap is a limit placed by the government on the amount of interest that banks or credit card companies can charge their customers.
(AM)
rate of exchange (rates of exchange plural )A rate of exchange is the same as an exchange rate. n-count
(=exchange rate)
...four thousand dinars<endash>about four hundred dollars at the official rate of exchange.
rate of return (rates of return plural )The rate of return on an investment is the amount of profit it makes, often shown as a percentage of the original investment. (BUSINESS) n-count
High rates of return can be earned on these investments.
second-rate
If you describe something as second-rate, you mean that it is of poor quality. adj
...second-rate restaurants., ...another second-rate politician.
third-rate
If you describe something as third-rate, you mean that it is of a very poor quality or standard. adj usu ADJ n
...a third-rate movie.
water rate (water rates plural )In Britain, the charges made for the use of water from the public water supply are known as the water rates. n-count usu pl
