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

But as the months went on, her baby was not only measuring in the 99th percentile, but two weeks ahead of schedule and breech. —Leigh Scheps, Parents, 13 Dec. 2025

Under the state's literacy law, students scoring below the 25th percentile must receive additional support in reading, including a personalized learning plan. —Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 10 Dec. 2025

Despite two down years, García boasts excellent power (89th percentile average exit velocity) while being an above-average defender with a plus arm. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025

The top 90th percentile of spending rose by 77 percent from $85,000 to $150,000 in the same period, the survey found. —Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 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