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Glite Dictionary
data rate

data rate

2 3.4
The speed at which digital information moves through a connection, measured in bits per second
  • noun
  • /ˈdeɪtə reɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tasa de datos
  • Even an 8-page per minute laser printer requires a data rate of about 1 megabit per second.
  • high data rate
  • maximum data rate
  • low data rate

So our data rates are much lower.

Examples

  • Sample smoothing and low-mass cantilevers have led to significant improvements in data rate and signal-to-noise ratio.

    Academic text (1995)

  • An OC-48 with a data rate of 2.488 megabits.

    Breach (2007)

  • So our data rates are much lower.

    Linus Tech Tips

  • Terms, conditions, message and data rates may apply.

  • To measure the data rate, we first wrote a series of tracks containing a known data pattern.

    Academic text (1995)

  • And they've got new lower mobile data rates as well.

  • The techniques we have discussed cover a wide range of densities and data rates.

    Academic text (1995)

  • By contrast, other workloads move large blocks of information, creating high data rates.

    Academic text (2000)

  • With custom low-mass cantilevers, we have demonstrated readback on real data with a data rate of 1.2 Mb/s.

    Academic text (1995)

  • The next generation, PCI 3.0, will offer a data rate of 8 Gbps.

Synonyms

bitrate
vsdata rate
  • Specialized
2 4.2

The speed at which digital data is sent or processed in bits per second

is the broader term for transmission speed across different systems
bit rate
vsdata rate
  • Specialized
1 4.1

The number of bits sent or processed each second in audio and video files

is used for speed generally rather than mainly for media files
baud rate
vsdata rate
  • Specialized
1 5.0

The number of signal changes sent each second in a data connection

refers to overall information speed rather than symbol transmission per second

How Fast

bandwidth
  • Specialized
37 4.3
throughput
  • Specialized
9 6.7
data rate
  • Specialized
2 3.4
bit rate
  • Specialized
1 4.1
baud
  • Specialized
2 8.9

Surface Forms

data rate singular
data rates plural

Morphology

data + rate

The meaning 'speed at which data is transmitted' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'data' (information) with 'rate' (a measured speed or frequency). This compound follows a standard English noun‑noun composition pattern (and similar constructions exist in many languages), so B1 learners who know both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Data rate comes from imagining data as a flow of information and rate as the speed of that flow, like water moving through a pipe. Think of pieces of data as drops of water passing a point each second. So, data rate means 'how fast data is sent or processed'.