bit rate

noun

variants or less commonly bit-rate or bitrate
: a measure of the speed of data processing usually calculated as the number of bits per second
MP3 measures compression settings in terms of a file's bit rate—the average number of bits required for one second of sound.Jim Heid

Examples of bit rate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Bluetooth codec support is limited to just SBC, which offers the lowest bit rate and sound quality. Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2024 Two people talking in front of a plain white wall were encoded with lower bit rates than the same two people taking part in a car chase; Barbie hanging out with her friends at home required less data than the scene in which Mr. Sparklesuit shows up. Janko Roettgers, The Verge, 22 June 2024 Traveling at the speed of light, the video signal took 101 seconds to reach Earth, sent at the system’s maximum bit rate of 267 megabits per second, NASA said. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2023 The graphics illustrate several features from the tech demo, such as Psyche’s orbital path, Palomar’s telescope dome, and technical information about the laser and its data bit rate. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2023 That paper set the record with a maximum bit rate of 6.18 bits per second with human participants. IEEE Spectrum, 6 July 2021 As its name suggests, VVC is meant to be versatile, supporting applications such as gaming and adaptive streaming, a technique that adapts bit rate and video resolution to network conditions. IEEE Spectrum, 5 Feb. 2020 It’s meant to be much more efficient, allowing higher audio quality at the same bit rate or slightly better audio at under half the bit rate, which turns into longer battery life. David Phelan, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 The apt X Adaptive codec is incredibly versatile and can vary its bit rate on the fly, automatically stepping down for movie and gaming use to provide ultra-low-latency sound. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 25 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bit rate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bit rate was in 1968

Dictionary Entries Near bit rate

Cite this Entry

“Bit rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bit%20rate. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

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