ranking

1 of 3

adjective

rank·​ing ˈraŋ-kiŋ 

: 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

ranking

2 of 3

noun

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

… 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

Playing primarily in regional events, she earned a ranking of No. 151, high enough to make the qualifying field at Roland Garros.

—L. Jon Wertheim

… he had the lowest interception rate and the highest ranking of any NFL quarterback …

—Paul Zimmerman

ranking

3 of 3

present participle of rank entry 2

Synonyms of ranking

Noun

• hierarchy
• ladder
• scale

Examples 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

Adjective

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has not taken a public position on the bill, but a spokesperson for him praised the work of Cantwell, the ranking member of the Commerce Committee. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Those questions may not be as flashy as a school's ranking or acceptance rate. — Jason St. Angelo, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Noun

In the first two quarters of 2026, there were zero bags in the top 10 of Lyst’s Hottest Product rankings. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026

And if prospects are more your thing, Scott Wheeler’s comprehensive ranking of the 145 best and brightest players under age 23 is here. — James Mirtle, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1847, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1836, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ranking

• high-ranking
• low-ranking
• power ranking
• top-ranking

Rhymes for ranking

• banking
• blanking
• clanking
• cranking
• flanking
• franking
• planking
• spanking
• thanking
• yanking
• nonbanking