quartile

noun

quar·​tile ˈkwȯr-ˌtī(-ə)l 

-tᵊl

: any of the three values that divide the items of a frequency distribution into four classes with each containing one fourth of the total population

also : any one of the four classes

Did you know?

A quartile is a quarter of a specific group that has been tested or evaluated in specific ways. The first quartile is the one that scores highest and the fourth quartile scores lowest. For achievement and proficiency tests, the first quartile is the place to be; for blood pressure or cholesterol, the third quartile is healthier.

Examples of quartile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But households in the bottom quartile — those earning less than $66,000 a year — pay around 3% of their income on average. —Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025

This intra-top-quartile resentment may also help explain why more politicians want higher taxes on super-high earners but don’t ask the upper middle class to pay any more. —Allison Schrager, Twin Cities, 30 Nov. 2025

There is a large Mass-Class Divide on AI in the Developed Markets, with 71% of the UK and 65% of the American bottom income quartile feeling they will be left behind rather than realize any advantages from gen AI. —Richard Edelman, Fortune, 18 Nov. 2025

In 2022, Foshan earned a score in the upper quartile for its third-party audited Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM). —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 18 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, from Latin quartus

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quartile

• mortal
• immortal