Learn English – Why Literacy “Rate”

meaningword-usage

I recently had a discussion with a friend, and he was using a phrase repeatedly which said "Conversion Rate vs Time". I pointed out to him that Rate already has the time factor, so you don't have to say Rate vs Time, but he then pointed me to the Wikipedia page for Rate

The most common type of rate is "per unit time", such as speed, heart rate and flux. Ratios that have a non-time denominator include exchange rates, literacy rates and electric flux.

Which is fair enough, but it did leave me confused (for the first time so many years) by the term Literacy Rate. I never realized it till now, but why do we append Rate to Literacy?

Is Literacy alone not enough to define the metric which we now call Literacy Rate? Why do we use Rate? What does Rate signify in this scenario?

Best Answer

Literacy refers to the quality or state of being literate, esp. the ability to read and write. Literacy rate refers to the percentage of people who are able to read and write vs those who are not.

Literacy:

  • The condition or quality of being literate, especially the ability to read and write

Literacy rate

  • (social studies) the percentage of people who are able to read and write

Rate:

  • A measure of a part with respect to a whole; a proportion: the mortality rate; a tax rate.

( TFD)

Ngram : literacy rate, ratio, proportion, percentage.

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