: 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
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Águilas tops a new ranking thanks to sunny weather, calm seas, and access to dozens of beaches.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The Athletic's early rankings a day later picked the Longhorns to win the national championship.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ranking
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Adjective
All the intricate meetings and rolling knolls, all the reliable critiques of the kids today, have left this former student in the ranking spirit.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Águilas tops a new ranking thanks to sunny weather, calm seas, and access to dozens of beaches.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
Forget about rankings, radar guns or who has scholarship offers.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The Athletic's early rankings a day later picked the Longhorns to win the national championship.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 10 Apr. 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 14 Apr. 2026.
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