10 → see also rating
11 PHRASE 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'.
12 PHRASE 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.
13 PHRASE 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. SYNONYMS rate NOUN 1
speed: In the late 1850s the speed of technological change quickened.
pace: Many people were not satisfied with the pace of change.
tempo: …the slow tempo of change in an overwhelmingly rural country.
rate|able value /re I təb ə l væ ljuː/ (rateable values ) N‑COUNT In Britain, the rateable value of a building was a value based on its size and facilities, which was used in calculating local taxes called rates.
ra te-cap (rate-caps , rate-capping , rate-capped )
1 VERB [usu passive] 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. □ [be V -ed] Notts County Council is to cut 200 jobs in a bid to escape being rate-capped. ● 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 ]
ra te of ex|cha nge (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.
ra te of re|tu rn (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.
rate|payer /re I tpe I ə r / (ratepayers )
1 N‑COUNT In Britain, a ratepayer was a person who owned or rented property and therefore had to pay local taxes called rates. The citizens of a district are sometimes still called the ratepayers when their interests and the use of local taxes are being considered.
2 N‑COUNT In the United States, a ratepayer is a person whose property is served by an electricity, water, or phone company, and who pays for these services.
ra|ther ◆◆◆ /rɑː ðə r , ræ ð-/
1 PHRASE You use rather than when you are contrasting two things or situations. Rather than introduces the thing or situation that is not true or that you do not want. □ The problem was psychological rather than physiological. □ When I'm going out in the evening I use the bike if I can rather than the car. ● CONJ Rather is also a conjunction. □ She made students think for themselves, rather than telling them what to think.
2 ADV You use rather when you are correcting something that you have just said, especially when you are describing a particular situation after saying what it is not. □ He explained what the Crux is, or rather, what it was.
3 PHRASE If you say that you would rather do something or you 'd rather do it, you mean that you would prefer to do it. If you say that you would rather not do something, you mean that you do not want to do it. □ If it's all the same to you, I'd rather work at home. □ Kids would rather play than study. □ I would rather Lionel took it on. □ Sorry. I'd rather not talk about it. □ [MODAL not ] Would you like that? Don't hesitate to say no if you'd rather not.
4 ADV [ADV adj/adv] You use rather to indicate that something is true to a fairly great extent, especially when you are talking about something unpleasant or undesirable. □ I grew up in rather unusual circumstances. □ The first speaker began to talk, very fast and rather loudly. □ I'm afraid it's rather a long story. □ The reality is rather more complex. □ The fruit is rather like a sweet chestnut.
5 ADV [ADV before v] You use rather before verbs that introduce your thoughts and feelings, in order to express your opinion politely, especially when a different opinion has been expressed. [POLITENESS ] □ I rather think he was telling the truth.
rati|fi|ca|tion /ræ t I f I ke I ʃ ə n/ (ratifications ) N‑VAR [usu sing] The ratification of a treaty or written agreement is the process of ratifying it. □ [+ of ] The E.U. will now complete ratification of the treaty by June 1.
rati|fy /ræ t I fa I / (ratifies , ratifying , ratified ) VERB When national leaders or organizations ratify a treaty or written agreement, they make it official by giving their formal approval to it, usually by signing it or voting for it. □ [V n] The parliaments of Australia and Indonesia have yet to ratify the treaty.
rat|ing ◆◇◇ /re I t I ŋ/ (ratings )
1 N‑COUNT A rating of something is a score or measurement of how good or popular it is. □ …a value-for-money rating of ten out of ten.
2 → see also credit rating
3 N‑PLURAL The ratings are the statistics published each week which show how popular each television programme is. □ CBS's ratings again showed huge improvement over the previous year. COLLOCATIONS rating NOUN
1