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
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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
Nimmo’s 45% groundball rate is in the top quartile among major league hitters.
—
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
The Big 12 didn’t publish a preseason poll this summer, but the Wildcats would have been picked for the bottom half, perhaps even the bottom quartile.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
According to the Gallup State of the American Workplace report, businesses with the highest employee engagement scores suggested 21% higher levels of profitability when compared to those in the lowest quartile.
—Tara Fitzpatrick-Navarro, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The fund’s total returns over the trailing one-, three-, five-, 10- and 15-year periods have been in the top quartile of its peer group, per Morningstar.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quartile
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Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
The Big 12 didn’t publish a preseason poll this summer, but the Wildcats would have been picked for the bottom half, perhaps even the bottom quartile.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
According to the Gallup State of the American Workplace report, businesses with the highest employee engagement scores suggested 21% higher levels of profitability when compared to those in the lowest quartile.
—Tara Fitzpatrick-Navarro, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The fund’s total returns over the trailing one-, three-, five-, 10- and 15-year periods have been in the top quartile of its peer group, per Morningstar.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quartile
Cite this Entry
“Quartile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quartile. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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