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

In terms of Outs Above Average, Chourio ranks in the 81st percentile among active defenders. —Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025

This chart shows what percentile of forwards in the NHL Eichel and Marner have finished above in offensive zone time. —Jesse Granger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025

Both cities ranked in the 99th percentile, placing them among the top 1% of small cities nationwide. —Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Oct. 2025

Just two states qualify at the 75th percentile. —Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for percentile

• campanile
• chrysotile
• domicil
• domicile
• mercantile
• neuropil
• nonpareil
• peristyle
• reconcile
• thermopile
• aisle
• bile

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