: having a high position: such as
a
: of the highest rank
the ranking officer
b
: being next to the chairman 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
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Where Retirees Rely Most on Social Security Hover over a state to see its ranking
LeastMost
VermontVermont
Source: Retirement Living 2025 study
The map shows the states most vulnerable to Social Security cuts.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
In June 2022, Lame dethroned Charli D’Amelio atop the TikTok rankings and has held the spot ever since.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ranking
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Adjective
Over the past decade, the project has returned to the ranking multiple times and has now spent a total of 46 weeks on the 100-position list.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Where Retirees Rely Most on Social Security Hover over a state to see its ranking
LeastMost
VermontVermont
Source: Retirement Living 2025 study
The map shows the states most vulnerable to Social Security cuts.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Noun
The set reappears highest on the Official Albums Streaming ranking, coming in at No. 79.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
In June 2022, Lame dethroned Charli D’Amelio atop the TikTok rankings and has held the spot ever since.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 9 June 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 17 Jun. 2025.
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