at any rate


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rate 1

 (rāt)
n.
1. A quantity measured with respect to another measured quantity: a rate of speed of 60 miles an hour.
2. A measure of a part with respect to a whole; a proportion: the mortality rate; a tax rate.
3. The cost per unit of a commodity or service: postal rates.
4. A charge or payment calculated in relation to a particular sum or quantity: interest rates.
5. Level of quality.
6. often rates Chiefly British A locally assessed property tax.
v. rat·ed, rat·ing, rates
v.tr.
1.
a. To place in a particular class, rank, or grade: rated the film PG13; rated the bonds at junk level. See Synonyms at estimate.
b. To specify the performance limits of, especially according to a standard scale: This fuse is rated at 50 amperes. The fishing line is rated for 30 pounds.
2. To regard or consider as having a certain value: rated the movie excellent; rated him a fine cook.
3. Chiefly British To value for purposes of taxation.
4. To set a rate for (goods to be shipped).
5. Informal To merit or deserve: people that rate special treatment; an idea that rates attention. See Synonyms at earn.
v.intr.
1. To be ranked in a particular class: a wine that rates higher than any other.
2. Informal To have status, importance, or influence: Tea-flavored ice cream doesn't rate highly in my book.
Idiom:
at any rate
1. Whatever the case may be; in any case: You should at any rate apologize.
2. Used to indicate a revision or correction to a previous remark: We were delighted, or at any rate satisfied, with the results.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin rata, proportion, short for Latin (prō) ratā (parte), (according to a) fixed (part), from feminine ablative past participle of rērī, to consider, reckon; see ar- in Indo-European roots.]

rate 2

 (rāt)
v. rat·ed, rat·ing, rates Archaic
v.tr.
To berate.
v.intr.
To express reproof.

[Middle English raten, perhaps of Scandinavian origin.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adv.1.at any rate - used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement; "Anyhow, he is dead now"; "I think they're asleep; anyhow, they're quiet"; "I don't know what happened to it; anyway, it's gone"; "anyway, there is another factor to consider"; "I don't know how it started; in any case, there was a brief scuffle"; "in any event, the government faced a serious protest"; "but at any rate he got a knighthood for it"
2.at any rate - if nothing else (`leastwise' is informal and `leastways' is colloquial); "at least he survived"; "they felt--at any rate Jim felt--relieved though still wary"; "the influence of economists--or at any rate of economics--is far-reaching"
colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
عَلى كُل حال، مَهْما يَكُن مِن أمْر
aspoňv každém případě
i alle faldi hvert fald
legalábbis
aî minnsta kosti
en azındanhiç olmazsa

any

(ˈeni) pronoun, adjective
1. one, some, no matter which. `Which dress shall I wear?' `Wear any (dress)'; `Which dresses shall I pack?' `Pack any (dresses)'.
2. (in questions and negative sentences etc) one, some. John has been to some interesting places but I've never been to any; Have you been to any interesting places?; We have hardly any coffee left.
adjective
every. Any schoolboy could tell you the answer.
adverb
at all; (even) by a small amount. Is this book any better than the last one?; His writing hasn't improved any.
ˈanybody, ˈanyone pronoun
1. (in questions, and negative sentences etc) some person. Is anybody there?
2. any person, no matter which. Get someone to help – anyone will do.
3. everyone. Anyone could tell you the answer to that.
ˈanyhow adverb
1. anyway. Anyhow, even if the problem does arise, it won't affect us.
2. in a careless, untidy way. Books piled anyhow on shelves.
ˈanything pronoun
1. (in questions, and negative sentences etc) some thing. Can you see anything?; I can't see anything.
2. a thing of any kind. You can buy anything you like; `What would you like for your birthday?' `Anything will do.'
ˈanyway adverb
nevertheless; in spite of what has been or might be said, done etc. My mother says I mustn't go but I'm going anyway; Anyway, she can't stop you.
ˈanywhere adverb
in any place at all. Have you seen my gloves anywhere?; I can't find them anywhere; `Where will I put these?' `Anywhere will do.'
at any rate
at least. It's a pity it has started to rain, but at any rate we can still enjoy ourselves at the cinema; The Queen is coming to see us – at any rate, that's what John says.
in any case
nevertheless. I don't believe the story but I'll check it in any case.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
China's population must be seven hundred millions, eight hundred millions, nobody knew how many millions, but at any rate it would soon be a billion.
But whether because stupidity was just what was needed to run such a salon, or because those who were deceived found pleasure in the deception, at any rate it remained unexposed and Helene Bezukhova's reputation as a lovely and clever woman became so firmly established that she could say the emptiest and stupidest things and everybody would go into raptures over every word of hers and look for a profound meaning in it of which she herself had no conception.
At any rate, the boat sank by the stern, quite gently, in three feet of water, leaving the captain and myself, facing each other, on our feet.