percentile

noun

per·​cen·​tile pər-ˈsen-ˌtī(-ə)l How to pronounce percentile (audio)
: a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it
a score in the 95th percentile

Examples of percentile in a Sentence

His height and weight are in the 80th percentile for boys his age.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
King, 31, is in the 90th percentile in pitching run value, 93rd in breaking ball run value and 97th in off-speed run value. — Jim Bowden, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 And his fastball sits in the 91st percentile in terms of velocity, per Baseball Savant. — Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 Similarly, the spread between the Nasdaq 100 vol measured by the Invesco Trust QQQ and SPY fell from an all-time high in June to the lowest 20th percentile in a year, according to Cboe. — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 The lawmakers said Committed Gateway Pricing mechanism would set rates at the 70th percentile of the railroads’ own comparable traffic rates, rather than at a median or below-average benchmark. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for percentile

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of percentile was in 1885

Rhymes for percentile

See All Rhymes for percentile

Browse Nearby Words

percentagewise
percentile
percent sign
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Cite this Entry

“Percentile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percentile. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Medical Definition

percentile

noun
per·​cen·​tile pər-ˈsen-ˌtīl How to pronounce percentile (audio)
: a value on a scale of one hundred that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it
a percentile score of 95 is a score equal to or better than 95 percent of the scores

More from Merriam-Webster on percentile

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about percentile

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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