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

Not bad for a player whose sprint speed ranks in the 16th percentile across the sport, per Baseball Savant. —Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025

The stock's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 45% ranks in the low 12th percentile of its annual range, meaning options traders are pricing in low volatility expectations. —Schaeffer's Investment Research, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Essentially, the 90th percentile represents the compensation for workplace superstars. —Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025

Debinha ranks in the 80th percentile for interceptions and 83rd percentile for blocks. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 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