# percentile

/pɝˈsɛnˌtaɪɫ/ (US) · /pəsˈɛntaɪl/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/percentile
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

a number that shows where you stand in a group of 100 people. If you are in the 90th percentile, you did better than 90 percent of the group.

For teachers: a measure indicating the value below which a given percentage of observations in a group falls. Often used to compare individual performance against a larger population.

## Examples

- Her test score is in the 95th percentile.
- Doctors use growth charts to see if a child's height is in a healthy percentile for their age.
- While the raw score was impressive, being in the 99th percentile confirmed that the candidate was among the most elite performers in the country.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He got a 90 percentile on the test" but "He was in the 90th percentile" — A percentile is a position in a ranking, not the score itself; it requires an ordinal number and the preposition 'in'.

## Usage notes

- Usually preceded by an ordinal number (e.g., 10th, 50th, 90th) and the definite article 'the'.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.