What does ratable mean?
Ratable means capable of being rated or subject to an official assessment. In general use, it describes anything that can be evaluated, classified, or assigned a value through a system of comparison. In legal and financial contexts, it more specifically refers to property, income, assets, or liabilities that are assessed for taxation, insurance, compensation, or another calculation. The related noun rating denotes either the process of assessing something or the value assigned by that process. Because ratable emphasizes the possibility or necessity of assessment rather than assessment itself, it often appears in technical expressions such as ratable value and ratable property. The word is most common in formal British and American English, although rateable is the more familiar spelling in much of Britain.
adjectiveCapable of being rated or assessed; subject to valuation, especially for taxation, insurance, or another rating system.
- Capable of being rated, evaluated, or assigned a value.
- Subject to official assessment for taxation, insurance, or another form of valuation.
"The property's ratable value increased after the redevelopment."
"The insurer will determine the ratable value of the building before accepting the property."
"Participants in the program contribute to a shared, ratable fund."
A word for whatever comes with a price tag: ratable assets are officially valued, then used to calculate what must be paid.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ratable come from?
Ratable was formed in the 17th century from rate and the suffix -able, meaning “able to be” or “liable to be.” Rate came through Middle English and Anglo-French from Latin rata, a form associated with ratio, meaning “reason” or “proportion.” That Latin root also produced cognates such as ration, ratify, and rational.
Related word forms
How ratable is actually used
The spelling ratable is standard in American English, while rateable is widespread in British English and is also recognized in North America. The word is chiefly formal and is especially common in legal, financial, property, insurance, and taxation contexts.
Easily confused with ratable
Rateable is an alternative spelling of ratable and is especially common in British usage.