ranking

1 of 2

adjective

rank·​ing ˈraŋ-kiŋ How to pronounce ranking (audio)
: having a high position: such as
a
: of the highest rank
the ranking officer
b
: being next to the chairman in seniority
ranking committee member

ranking

2 of 2

noun

plural rankings
: position, order, or standing within a group : rank
The figures, compiled from federal surveys and a tourism research concern, earned New York City a second-place ranking nationwide as a destination for United States travelers, pushing Las Vegas down to the No. 3 spot.Eric Lipton
… if a site is linked to by sites of high quality and popularity, those links can raise the ranking of the first site.Elizabeth Stone
Playing primarily in regional events, she earned a ranking of No. 151, high enough to make the qualifying field at Roland Garros.L. Jon Wertheim
… he had the lowest interception rate and the highest ranking of any NFL quarterback …Paul Zimmerman

Examples of ranking in a Sentence

Adjective Who is the ranking officer here? the country's ranking law school Noun in one ranking of the best places to live, San Francisco surpassed all the other cities in the U.S. the President's ranking in the polls is at its highest level since he took office
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.
Adjective
One last form of trust, more esoteric but no less important, rounded out Forbes’ ranking formula: media representation. Heather Newman, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 As always, any ranking data comes from the world’s first and largest dynasty site DynastyLeagueFootball (DLF) where all my, and others’, rankings can be found. Jeff Haverlack, The Athletic, 22 Aug. 2024
Noun
Top 100 rankings) has a national private membership, but is very much connected to the bigger public golf resort. Erik Matuszewski, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024 Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer topped Nielsen’s U.S. ranking of streaming originals for a second straight week, while ABC’s iconic Lost rose to No. 2 on the overall Top 10 chart. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ranking 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1847, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1836, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ranking was in 1836

Dictionary Entries Near ranking

Cite this Entry

“Ranking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ranking. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on ranking

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