As a noun, rate is the speed at which something happens or changes, or a fixed price or level. As a verb, it means to judge or evaluate something, or to think of it as having a certain level or value.
It comes from Old French “rate,” meaning “fixed price,” likely from medieval Latin “rata (pars),” meaning “fixed (part).” The judging sense developed from setting a fixed value or level for something.
When you “rate” a movie, you’re quietly doing math in your head, turning feelings into a number or level. The idea of rate links emotions, prices, and speeds—all are ways humans try to measure and control a messy world.
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