quintile

noun

quin·​tile ˈkwin-ˌtī(-ə)l 

: any of the four values that divide the items of a frequency distribution into five classes with each containing one fifth of the total population

also : any one of the five classes

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Breaking Down the Meaning of Quintile

Many people have a deep interest in statistics about themselves, whether the information provided is about income, ice-cream consumption, or trash production. And any such rating can be divided into fifths, or quintiles. The fifth or lowest quintile would include the 20 percent of the population who make the least money or eat the least ice cream or generate the least trash, and the first quintile would include the 20 percent who make, eat, or generate the most.

Examples of quintile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The companies are less likely to be distressed compared to those offering the highest yields in the first quintile. — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

The bottom quintile does best in relative terms, collecting about 266% of combined taxes paid—532% of their own share alone. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

For instance, with Mars joining Saturn in a quintile this morning, there’s an innate desire to organize, strategize and turn your ideas into a plan of action. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026

Each food group is scored 1-5 based on intake quintiles, giving a total of 17-85 points. — Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 28 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin quintus + English -ile entry 2

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quintile

• lintel
• pintle
• quintal