The Meaning of Prorated: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of prorated? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word prorated, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word prorated mean?

According to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word prorate is a transitive verb that means to divide, distribute, or assess proportionately. Prorated is the past tense of the word prorate. Prorating is the present progressive tense, but other suffixes can be used to create the indicative past tense, subjunctive past tense, and more. The word prorated is often used when describing the first month’s rent on an apartment. 

A landlord will usually prorate the first month of the rental if the tenant does not move-in on the first day of the month. For example, if a tenant moved in on the 15th of February instead of the first, this would mean that they would only have to pay half of the rent for that first month. This is what’s known as the prorated amount. If the move out date is before the end of the month, the last month’s rent will also be prorated. Prorated rent is a lower amount than the standard monthly rent. If certain costs fall outside of the normal billing cycle or cycles, this is when the landlord will do calculations to determine the amount that the tenant owes. If employees start a new job halfway through the year, their annual salary would also be prorated. If a renter sets up a new plan for their internet in the middle of a billing period or pay period, they will likely get a prorated credit on their account or a prorated charge for the remainder of the month from the service provider. 

What is the origin of the word prorated?

According to Etymonline, the word prorate – also sometimes spelled pro-rate, has been used since the year 1860 in American English. This verb is derived from the LAtin pro rata or Latin pro rata parte. These Medieval Latin terms mean in proportion, or according to the calculated share. These come from the root pro meaning for or in accordance with and the Latin rata, the ablative singular of the Latin ratus, the past participle of reri meaning to count or reckon. 

What are synonyms for the word prorated?

There are many different words that a person can use in place of the word prorated. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same definition as another given word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to avoid repeating yourself while also expanding your English language vocabulary. This list of synonyms for the word prorated is provided by Thesaurus.

  • mete
  •  cut one in
  •  piece up
  •  cut in
  •  factor
  •  disperse
  •  shell out
  •  split up
  •  distribute
  •  lot out
  •  quota
  •  prorate
  •  partition
  •  disburse
  •  dole out
  •  dish out
  •  fork out
  •  parcel
  •  share
  •  divide
  •  shift
  •  cut
  •  measure out
  •  allot
  •  deal
  •  go fifty-fifty
  •  slice up
  •  slice
  •  allocate
  •  cut up
  •  hand over
  •  ration
  •  apportion
  •  divvy up
  •  dispense
  •  articulate
  •  hand out
  •  deal out
  •  portion

How can the word prorated be used in a sentence?

The word prorated can be used in many different sentences. Below are a few examples of prorated. 

According to his lease agreement, he had to pay the full month’s rent on the first of the month, even though his move-out dates would suggest that he should pay a prorated amount. 

The year-long lease started in January, though the tenant only had to pay a partial month since she did not move in on the first of the month. 

The renter decided to move out in the middle of the month of June rather than waiting until the last day of the month. He hoped to pay a prorated rent amount for each apartment per his rental agreements.

Since the company started in July, the employee salaries were at the rate of a prorated salary and they would not receive their year-end  bonuses since they had not worked at the company for a year. The number of hours they worked did not even qualify them for a full day off, let alone an extra day. They were frustrated with the bureaucracy of the company.

Since she bought her house in April, she only had to pay property tax for the months that she owned the home. This was the same case with her ​​​homeowner’s insurance policy. She was happy to know that the federal laws and legal requirements only required she pay the full prorated amount; the specified amount of money was far less than the entire pay period. She was perturbed when the committee made her pay the entire year of HOA fees, but the prorated tax made up for it. 

I was shocked to know that his current yearly salary had been prorated the entire time due to superfluous charges for his uniform and other deductions at a monthly cost. He thought all of it was going to his yearly total in taxes. 

The home’s water filter cartridge had a 36-month warranty period. Cartridge stopped working on one of the applicable days, they would get a prorated reimbursement. 

Overall, the word prorated means Divided, distributed, or assessed proportionately. This is often used in reference to bills or rent. If a person pays a prorated amount, they do not have to pay the entire month or unit of time since they did not use the services for the whole time. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today. You never know, it might become one of your new favorite words to use! You can use flash cards or brain games to learn this definition. 

Sources: 

  1. prorate | Origin and meaning of prorate | Online Etymology Dictionary 
  2. Prorate | Definition of Prorate | Merriam-WebsterÂ