a system of means and activities whereby a social institution functions; "the complex machinery of negotiation"; "the machinery of command labored and brought forth an order"
amount of a charge or payment relative to some basis; "a 10-minute phone call at that rate would cost $5"
a quantity or amount or measure considered as a proportion of another quantity or amount or measure; "the literacy rate"; "the retention rate"; "the dropout rate"
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit; "they traveled at a rate of 55 miles per hour"; "the rate of change was faster than expected"
assign a rank or rating to; "how would you rank these students?"; "The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide"
estimate the value of; "How would you rate his chances to become President?"; "Gold was rated highly among the Romans"
be worthy of or have a certain rating; "This bond rates highly"
the act of allowing; "He objected to the allowance of smoking in the dining room"
a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits
an amount added or deducted on the basis of qualifying circumstances; "an allowance for profit"
an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period); "travel allowance"; "my weekly allowance of two eggs"; "a child's allowance should not be too generous"
in or to or toward the rear; "he followed behind"; "seen from behind, the house is more imposing than it is from the front"; "the final runners were far behind"
remaining in a place or condition that has been left or departed from; "when he died he left much unfinished work behind"; "left a large family behind"; "the children left their books behind"; "he took off with a squeal of tires and left the other cars far behind"
in debt; "he fell behind with his mortgage payments"; "a month behind in the rent"; "a company that has been run behindhand for years"; "in arrears with their utility bills"
in or into an inferior position; "fell behind in his studies"; "their business was lagging behind in the competition for customers"
of timepieces; "the clock is almost an hour slow"; "my watch is running behind"
being or involving basic facts or principles; "the fundamental laws of the universe"; "a fundamental incomatibility between them"; "these rudimentary truths"; "underlying principles"
far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something; "the fundamental revolution in human values that has occurred"; "the book underwent fundamental changes"; "committed the fundamental error of confusing spending with extravagance"; "profound social changes"