percentile

noun

per·​cen·​tile pər-ˈsen-ˌtī(-ə)l 

: a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it

a score in the 95th percentile

Examples of percentile in a Sentence

His height and weight are in the 80th percentile for boys his age.

Recent Examples on the Web

The one thing to consider, however, is the potential defensive downgrade, with McMahon ranking in the 80th percentile in Outs Above Average at third base. — James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026

Seven days later, the same Panthers held the Falcons to three points, a total that rates in the latter franchise’s lowest sixth percentile for points scored in a regular-season game, also according to Stathead. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026

His 14 percent walk rate is in the 80th percentile for Double-A hitters. — Andrea Arcadipane, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

In a flat-rate COLA, the percentage increase is calculated the same way, but it will only be applied to those in the 20th percentile. — Medora Lee, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for percentile

• campanile
• chamomile
• domicil
• domicile
• mercantile
• neuropil
• peristyle
• reconcile
• thermopile
• aisle
• bile
• chyle

Medical Definition

percentile

noun

per·​cen·​tile pər-ˈsen-ˌtīl 

: a value on a scale of one hundred that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it

a percentile score of 95 is a score equal to or better than 95 percent of the scores