at any rate

rate ¹  (rt)

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. Chiefly British A locally assessed property tax. Often used in the plural.

v. rat·ed, rat·ing, rates

v.tr.

1. To calculate the value of; appraise. See Synonyms at estimate.

2. To place in a particular rank or grade.

3. To regard or account: rated the movie excellent.

4. To value for purposes of taxation.

5. To set a rate for (goods to be shipped).

6. To specify the performance limits of (a machine, for example): This fuse is rated at 50 amperes.

7. Informal To merit or deserve: people that rate special treatment. See Synonyms at earn¹.

v.intr.

1. To be ranked in a particular class.

2. Informal To have status, importance, or influence.

Idiom:

at any rate

1. Whatever the case may be.

2. At least.

---

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

---

rate ²  (rt)

v. rat·ed, rat·ing, rates

v.tr.

To berate.

v.intr.

To express reproof.

---

[Middle English raten, perhaps of Scandinavian origin.]

Thesaurus

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" anyhow, anyway, anyways, in any case, in any event
	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" at least, leastways, leastwise colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech