quartile

noun

quar·​tile ˈkwȯr-ˌtī(-ə)l How to pronounce quartile (audio)
-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
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.
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 Furthermore, According to a 2020 report by McKinsey & Company, organizations with executive teams in the top 25% for gender diversity were 25% more likely to achieve above-average profitability compared to those in the lowest quartile. — Dianne Plummer, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025 Around the world, the evidence for the value of social progress is conclusive: McKinsey’s global research found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to experience above-average profitability. — Paul Klein, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quartile

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, from Latin quartus

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quartile was in 1879

Rhymes for quartile

See All Rhymes for quartile

Browse Nearby Words

quartier
quartile
quartile deviation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quartile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quartile. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on quartile

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quartile

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All