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

That ranks in the 95th percentile, according to Miyakawa. —Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026

Trammell tagged up, an aggressive move with Scott, the Cardinals center fielder, in the 62nd percentile of major-leaguers in arm strength, per Baseball Savant. —Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026

Under stress scenarios representing the 95th percentile of plausible outcomes, that figure could spike to 121% within three years. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026

For students in grades 3 through 5, the school climate improved, ranking around the 70th percentile nationally. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026

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