quartile

noun

quar·​tile ˈkwȯr-ˌtī(-ə)l 

-tᵊl

: any of the three values that divide the items of a frequency distribution into four classes with each containing one fourth of the total population

also : any one of the four classes

Did you know?

A quartile is a quarter of a specific group that has been tested or evaluated in specific ways. The first quartile is the one that scores highest and the fourth quartile scores lowest. For achievement and proficiency tests, the first quartile is the place to be; for blood pressure or cholesterol, the third quartile is healthier.

Examples of quartile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the report, companies in the bottom quartile for diversity are 66% less likely to financially outperform their competitors. —Josh Millet, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Organizations in the top quartile for ethnic diversity outperform their peers by 36% in profitability. —Michael Hudson, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025

Research shows that: • Companies in the top quartile for diversity outperform those in the bottom quartile by 36% in profitability. —Rachel Baptiste, Cpcc, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025

As a result, Cognizant slipped from a best-in-class player in organic growth (compound annual growth rate of over 10%, firmly in the top quartile) to an industry laggard. —Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, from Latin quartus

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quartile

• mortal
• immortal