: having a high position: such as
a
: of the highest rank
the ranking officer
b
: being next to the chairperson in seniority
ranking committee member
plural rankings
: position, order, or standing within a group : rank
The figures, compiled from federal surveys and a tourism research concern, earned New York City a second-place ranking nationwide as a destination for United States travelers, pushing Las Vegas down to the No. 3 spot.—
Eric Lipton
Eric Lipton… if a site is linked to by sites of high quality and popularity, those links can raise the ranking of the first site.—Elizabeth Stone
Elizabeth StonePlaying primarily in regional events, she earned a ranking of No. 151, high enough to make the qualifying field at Roland Garros.—L. Jon Wertheim
L. Jon Wertheim… he had the lowest interception rate and the highest ranking of any NFL quarterback …—Paul Zimmerman
Paul ZimmermanExamples of ranking in a Sentence
Adjective
Who is the ranking officer here?
the country's ranking law school
Noun
in one ranking of the best places to live, San Francisco surpassed all the other cities in the U.S.
the President's ranking in the polls is at its highest level since he took office
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 5 Jan. 2026
Among them are Vladimir Padrino López – who as well as being defense minister is Venezuela's top ranking military officer – and Diosdado Cabello, the interior minister.
—Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 4 Jan. 2026
Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Instead, Zubimendi makes sure his positioning is right to counter-press and is often on hand to cut opponents’ passes out, which makes his ranking of 10th for true interceptions less surprising.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ranking
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Adjective
With both Democratic ranking members endorsing them, the bills are likely to pass with wide bipartisan support.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 5 Jan. 2026
Among them are Vladimir Padrino López – who as well as being defense minister is Venezuela's top ranking military officer – and Diosdado Cabello, the interior minister.
—Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 4 Jan. 2026
Noun
Although his unit did not perform particularly well in 2026, ranking 22nd in total defense, 24th in points against and 17th on third down, anyone that has interacted with Weaver knows that his presence screams head coach.
—Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Instead, Zubimendi makes sure his positioning is right to counter-press and is often on hand to cut opponents’ passes out, which makes his ranking of 10th for true interceptions less surprising.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ranking
Cite this Entry
“Ranking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ranking. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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