: having a high position: such as
a
: of the highest rank
the ranking officer
b
: being next to the chairman 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
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The Broncos' offense struggled, managing only 217 total yards, with 29 rushing yards, ranking 135th in the FBS.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
The Saudi Backed League events were not taken into account for this ranking.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ranking
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
On the Top Hard Rock Albums ranking, the group is up to nine appearances, with only three missing the top 10.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The Broncos' offense struggled, managing only 217 total yards, with 29 rushing yards, ranking 135th in the FBS.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
Forbes publishes a variety of rankings, including the best employers and the richest people.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
The Saudi Backed League events were not taken into account for this ranking.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ranking
Cite this Entry
“Ranking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ranking. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share