percentile

noun

per·​cen·​tile pər-ˈsen-ˌtī(-ə)l 

: 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

The league-average four-seamer is 93.2 mph, but Yarbrough’s fastball actually averaged 87.6 mph — in the bottom-one percentile — entering his start against the Angels on Monday. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025

Nembhard is also a splendid point-of-attack defender (95th percentile Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus, per Dunks & Threes), but he isn’t suited for handling stronger assignments. —Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025

According to Basketball Index, Caruso ranks in the 95th percentile in defensive position versatility, 72nd in rim deterrence, 93rd in rim points saved and 62nd in time spent guarding centers — unreal benchmarks for a 6-foot-5 guard with an average wingspan. —Kelly Iko, New York Times, 19 May 2025

The group plans to do so by targeting children below the 25th percentile in reading on Illinois standardized assessments. —Gregory Harutunian, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for percentile

• campanile
• chrysotile
• domicil
• domicile
• mercantile
• neuropil
• nonpareil
• peristyle
• reconcile
• thermopile
• aisle
• bile

Medical Definition

percentile

noun

per·​cen·​tile pər-ˈsen-ˌtīl 

: 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