percentile

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noun per·cen·tile \ pər-ˈsen-ˌtī(-ə)l \

Definition of percentile

: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

See percentile defined for English-language learners

Examples of percentile in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of percentile from the Web

The most affluent members of this group (at the 90th percentile) are married families of, say, a radiation therapist (median pay: $70,010) and a police officer (median pay: $61,600).

— joan c. williams, Time, "We Need to Redefine What 'Working Class' Means," 14 Aug. 2017
Wages for workers in the 10th percentile in states that raised their minimum wage in 2016 rose by 5.2 percent, more than twice the rate of workers in states that kept their minimum wage stagnant.

— story hinckley, The Christian Science Monitor, "After years of stagnation, low-income jobs join the recovery," 4 Aug. 2017
Higher minimum frame rates (in this case the 99th percentile number) often translate to smoother overall gameplay, with less stutters and hitches.

— mark walton, Ars Technica, "The external graphics dream is real: Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box reviewed," 3 Aug. 2017
His weight went from the 50th percentile to the 8th.

— The Cut, "The Mom Who Found Support in Unexpected Places," 3 Aug. 2017
By April 2015, VW had sunk to the bottom 28th percentile of companies ranked by MSCI for environmental, social and governance standards, and the following month it was removed from MSCI’s index of world businesses with favorable ESG.

— tom saler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "History has steered folks to environmental, social and governance investing," 15 July 2017
But even 99th-percentile drivers can get comfortable in the driver’s seat. While the ride is a little choppy, the suspension rounds the harsh edges off any bumps.

— jared gall, Car and Driver, "2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast," 20 June 2017
SoccerCity was consistently polling in the high 60 percentile.

— kevin acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego still can't decide whether it wants to get something done," 19 June 2017
With experience and proven performance, that leader will be raised to the market rate (50th percentile) over a two- to three-year time period.

— irv becker, Fortune, "Why CEOs Aren’t Overpaid," 11 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'percentile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of percentile

1885

PERCENTILE Defined for English Language Learners

percentile

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noun

Definition of percentile for English Language Learners

: one of 100 equal parts that a group of people can be divided into in order to rank them

Medical Dictionary

percentile

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noun per·cen·tile \ pər-ˈsen-ˌtīl \

medical Definition of percentile

: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

Learn More about percentile

See words that rhyme with percentile Nglish: Translation of percentile for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of percentile for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about percentile

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percentile

Definition of percentile

Examples of percentile in a Sentence

Recent Examples of percentile from the Web

First Known Use of percentile

PERCENTILE Defined for English Language Learners

percentile

Definition of percentile for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

percentile

medical Definition of percentile

Learn More about percentile

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percentile

Definition of percentile

From the M-W Editors

Examples of percentile in a Sentence

Recent Examples of percentile from the Web

First Known Use of percentile

PERCENTILE Defined for English Language Learners

percentile

Definition of percentile for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

percentile

medical Definition of percentile

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