quartile
noun
quar·tile
ˈkwȯr-ˌtī(-ə)l 
-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
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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
In one school, 99th Street Elementary, test scores jumped from bottom quartiles to the top in 2010, according to Tingirides.
—
Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2025
However, its performance so far this year lands it in the third quartile.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 21 Mar. 2025
Employers in the top quartile for employee engagement were 78% less likely to experience absenteeism than employers in the bottom quartile.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 12 June 2024
The wealthiest 25% of people in northern and western Europe had mortality rates that were about 35% lower than participants in the wealthiest quartile in the U.S.
—Irene N. Papanicolas, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quartile
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Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2025
However, its performance so far this year lands it in the third quartile.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 21 Mar. 2025
Employers in the top quartile for employee engagement were 78% less likely to experience absenteeism than employers in the bottom quartile.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 12 June 2024
The wealthiest 25% of people in northern and western Europe had mortality rates that were about 35% lower than participants in the wealthiest quartile in the U.S.
—Irene N. Papanicolas, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quartile
Cite this Entry
“Quartile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quartile. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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