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rate

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noun [countable] American English pronunciation: rate /reɪt/ 
Word Forms
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singularrate
pluralrates
  1. 1
    the number of times something happens, or the number of examples of something within a particular period of time

    a rising birth rate

    a dramatic fall in the city’s murder rate

    rate of:

    The animals were dying at a rate of three an hour.

    rate of:

    areas where the rate of unemployment is high

    success rate:

    Their success rate in recruiting new staff is very high.

    a high/low rate of something:

    There is a high rate of muggings and other forms of street crime in the area.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  rateThesaurus entry for this meaning of rate
  2. 2
    the speed at which something happens within a particular period of time

    Doctors monitor the patient’s heart rate.

    The population was growing at an alarming rate.

    rate of:

    During this period the rate of inflation soared.

    at a rate of:

    Workers were leaving at a rate of one a month.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  rateThesaurus entry for this meaning of rate
  3. 3
    an amount of money that is paid or charged

    plans to reduce the tax rates for people on low incomes

    rate of:

    The banks now pay a lower rate of interest to savers.

    hourly/weekly/monthly rate:

    They increased the hourly rate of pay to $12.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  rateThesaurus entry for this meaning of rate

phrases

This is the American English definition of rate. View British English definition of rate.

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