: 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
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Dec. 2025
The lawmakers' request to the GAO was sent by senators including Elizabeth Warren, ranking Democrat on the banking committee, and Dick Durbin, ranking Democrat on the judiciary committee.
—Marisa Taylor, Freep.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025
Additionally, a firm or an advisor’s appearance on our ranking does not constitute an individual endorsement by CNBC of any firm or advisor.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ranking
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Adjective
Alabama’s strength of schedule was cited by Yurachek as a reason for its ranking Sunday.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Dec. 2025
The lawmakers' request to the GAO was sent by senators including Elizabeth Warren, ranking Democrat on the banking committee, and Dick Durbin, ranking Democrat on the judiciary committee.
—Marisa Taylor, Freep.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Noun
The rankings were based on more than just affordability, though.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025
Additionally, a firm or an advisor’s appearance on our ranking does not constitute an individual endorsement by CNBC of any firm or advisor.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ranking
Cite this Entry
“Ranking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ranking. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
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