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

By contrast, locations in the top quartile of trust reported engagement levels in the 76th percentile and a significantly lower turnover rate of 67 percent. —Britney Porter, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

Researchers found that about 37 million Americans have jobs that fall within the top quartile of AI exposure, and most, about 70%, should be able to manage job transitions fairly well if necessary. —Cory Smith, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2026

Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on their executive teams are 15 percent more likely to experience above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile, according to McKinsey. —Harriet Taylor, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2025

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

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, from Latin quartus

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quartile

• mortal
• immortal