: having a high position: such as
a
: of the highest rank
the ranking officer
b
: being next to the chairperson in seniority
ranking committee member
plural rankings
: position, order, or standing within a group : rank
The figures, compiled from federal surveys and a tourism research concern, earned New York City a second-place ranking nationwide as a destination for United States travelers, pushing Las Vegas down to the No. 3 spot.—
Eric Lipton
Eric Lipton… if a site is linked to by sites of high quality and popularity, those links can raise the ranking of the first site.—Elizabeth Stone
Elizabeth StonePlaying primarily in regional events, she earned a ranking of No. 151, high enough to make the qualifying field at Roland Garros.—L. Jon Wertheim
L. Jon Wertheim… he had the lowest interception rate and the highest ranking of any NFL quarterback …—Paul Zimmerman
Paul ZimmermanExamples of ranking in a Sentence
Adjective
Who is the ranking officer here?
the country's ranking law school
Noun
in one ranking of the best places to live, San Francisco surpassed all the other cities in the U.S.
the President's ranking in the polls is at its highest level since he took office
Recent Examples on the Web
Christopher Cann, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Machines increasingly behave as agents, initiating actions, ranking priorities, and recommending outcomes.
—Big Think, 2 Mar. 2026
Jim Doti, Oc Register, 8 Mar. 2026
If these standards were adhered to, California students would be on top in national education rankings.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ranking
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Adjective
Nadler, the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security committee, accused Noem and her agents of acting improperly and even illegally in that case and in two others.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Machines increasingly behave as agents, initiating actions, ranking priorities, and recommending outcomes.
—Big Think, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
California’s profligacy in state funding during the Newsom era has been made possible by its high tax rates, as evidenced by its 48th overall ranking in the 2025 Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index.
—Jim Doti, Oc Register, 8 Mar. 2026
If these standards were adhered to, California students would be on top in national education rankings.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ranking
Cite this Entry
“Ranking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ranking. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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