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
Californians living in the lowest-income census tracts (the bottom quartile) experienced a 0.99-year gap in 2024 compared with 2019, while those in the highest-income quartile had a slightly smaller 0.85-year gap.
—
Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
That’s important, as teams in the top quartile for engagement are 23% more profitable than those in the bottom quartile.
—David Earl, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Yet, just 12% of all U.S. workers have access to childcare benefits through their employer, and only 6% of those who work part-time or in the lowest income quartile do, according to a Boston Consulting Group study published last year.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 8 June 2025
The benefit is clear: 60% of companies in the top quartile of the Resilience Index would see a positive return on profits, versus just 21% of the bottom quartile (almost 3x as much).
—Muqsit Ashraf, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for quartile
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Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
That’s important, as teams in the top quartile for engagement are 23% more profitable than those in the bottom quartile.
—David Earl, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Yet, just 12% of all U.S. workers have access to childcare benefits through their employer, and only 6% of those who work part-time or in the lowest income quartile do, according to a Boston Consulting Group study published last year.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 8 June 2025
The benefit is clear: 60% of companies in the top quartile of the Resilience Index would see a positive return on profits, versus just 21% of the bottom quartile (almost 3x as much).
—Muqsit Ashraf, Forbes.com, 7 July 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 29 Jul. 2025.
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