Law Dictionary Definitions

ratihabitio (rat-<<schwa>>-h<<schwa>>-bish-ee-oh), n.[Latin fr. ratum habere “to hold ratified”] Civil law. Ratification or approval, esp. by a principal of an agent’s transaction. Pl. ratihabitiones. [Blacks Law 8th]

ratification,n.1. Adoption or enactment, esp. where the act is the last in a series of necessary steps or consents <The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same>. • In this sense, ratification runs the gamut of a formal approval…

rate of return.The annual income from an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investment. See RETURN(5). fair rate of return.The amount of profit that a public utility is permitted to earn, as determined by a public utility commission. [Cases: Public Utilities 129. C.J.S. Public Utilities §§ 35, 38–41, 57.] internal rate of return.Accounting. A…

rate of interest.See INTEREST RATE. [Blacks Law 8th]

rate base.The investment amount or property value on which a company, esp. a public utility, is allowed to earn a particular rate of return. [Cases: Public Utilities 124. C.J.S. Public Utilities § 23–26, 30–33, 48–49.] [Blacks Law 8th]

rate,n.1. Proportional or relative value; the proportion by which quantity or value is adjusted <rate of inflation>.2. An amount paid or charged for a good or service <the rate for a business-class fare is $550>. class rate.A single rate applying to the transportation of several articles of the same general character. [Cases: Carriers 189. C.J.S.…

ratchet theory.Constitutional law. The principle that Congress, in exercising its enforcement power under the 14th Amendment, can increase but not dilute the scope of 14th Amendment guarantees as previously defined by the Supreme Court. • The thought underlying the term is that the enabling clause works in only one direction, like a ratchet. The theory…

ratable (ray-t<<schwa>>-b<<schwa>>l), adj.1. Proportionate <ratable distribution>.2. Capable of being estimated, appraised, or apportioned < because hundreds of angry fans ran onto the field at the same time, blame for the goalpost’s destruction is not ratable>.3. Taxable <the government assessed the widow’s ratable estate>. See PRO RATA. [Blacks Law 8th]

  rat.Slang. See STOOL PIGEON(1). [Blacks Law 8th]

rasure (ray-zh<<schwa>>r).1. The scraping or shaving of a document’s surface to remove the writing from it; erasure. 2. Obliteration. — rase,vb. [Blacks Law 8th]