: 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
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
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
Elizabeth StonePlaying primarily in regional events, she earned a ranking of No. 151, high enough to make the qualifying field at Roland Garros.—L. Jon Wertheim
L. Jon Wertheim… he had the lowest interception rate and the highest ranking of any NFL quarterback …—Paul Zimmerman
Paul ZimmermanExamples 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
Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
To create the ranking matrix, the report analyzed various factors, including what the costs would be for two adults in each location.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 5 May 2025
Rsm Discovery, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
The ranking of those soccer leagues is determined by a formula that calculates how well teams from that league performed in the previous season’s European competitions, and the bids handed out to each country are determined by domestic league standings.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ranking
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Adjective
Where Retirees Rely Most on Social Security Hover over a state to see its ranking
LeastMost
VermontVermont
Source: Retirement Living 2025 study
The map shows the states most vulnerable to Social Security cuts.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
To create the ranking matrix, the report analyzed various factors, including what the costs would be for two adults in each location.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 5 May 2025
Noun
European countries dominate global rankings of healthcare systems characterized by universal access and defining health as a right rather than a commodity.
—Rsm Discovery, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
The ranking of those soccer leagues is determined by a formula that calculates how well teams from that league performed in the previous season’s European competitions, and the bids handed out to each country are determined by domestic league standings.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ranking
Cite this Entry
“Ranking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ranking. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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