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
To Democratic politicians, apparently, families in the 97th income percentile are middle-class.
—
Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
His athletic profile backs up that explosive get-off, featuring a 98th-percentile (for DTs) vertical jump, 95th-percentile 40-yard dash, and 92nd-percentile broad jump.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
Bain’s arms were measured at 30 7/8 inches at the NFL combine, which clocks in at the third percentile.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Delane’s 30-inch arms are in the 8th percentile of cornerbacks in MockDraftable’s prospect database and Fano’s 32 ⅛’ arms are in the 3rd percentile, while Bain’s is in the 1st percentile of edge rushers (the database uses NFL Combine measurements, although pro day measurements can differ slightly).
—Ben Kamisar, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for percentile
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Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
His athletic profile backs up that explosive get-off, featuring a 98th-percentile (for DTs) vertical jump, 95th-percentile 40-yard dash, and 92nd-percentile broad jump.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
Bain’s arms were measured at 30 7/8 inches at the NFL combine, which clocks in at the third percentile.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Delane’s 30-inch arms are in the 8th percentile of cornerbacks in MockDraftable’s prospect database and Fano’s 32 ⅛’ arms are in the 3rd percentile, while Bain’s is in the 1st percentile of edge rushers (the database uses NFL Combine measurements, although pro day measurements can differ slightly).
—Ben Kamisar, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for percentile
Cite this Entry
“Percentile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percentile. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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