What does percentile mean Meaning and Definition

Pronunciation

/ˈpərsɛntɪl/ 🔊

Part of Speech

Term

Definition

A percentile is a value on a scale of numbers that represents a percentage of the data. It is often used to describe the relative position of a value within a dataset.

Examples

• The 75th percentile of the scores indicates that 75% of the students scored below that mark.
• The median income of the city is the 50th percentile, meaning that half of the residents earn more and half earn less.

Synonyms

• Quartile
• Decile

Antonyms

• Average
• Median

Etymology

The word “percentile” comes from the Latin “centum,” meaning “hundred,” and the suffix “-ile,” meaning “pertaining to.” It was first used in the 17th century to describe a unit of measurement for percentiles.

Additional Information

Percentiles are commonly used in statistics and data analysis to describe the distribution of data. They provide a way to understand the relative position of a value within a dataset and can be used to compare values across different datasets. Percentiles can also be used in everyday life, such as to describe the performance of a student or the income of a population.

Percentiles are different from other measures of central tendency, such as the mean and median, which are sensitive to outliers and skewed distributions. Percentiles are more robust and can provide a more accurate representation of the data distribution.

Usage Notes

Percentiles should be used in the context of a specific dataset or population. It is important to provide a clear definition of the percentile being referred to and to indicate the dataset or population being used.

Cultural References

Percentiles have been referenced in various cultural works, such as in literature, film, and music. They are often used to describe the performance of characters or the distribution of data in fictional worlds.

Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases

“Above the 90th percentile” is an idiomatic expression that means to be better than 90% of others in a particular area.

Related Words or Phrases

Quartile, decile, percentile rank, percentile score

Collocations

Percentile score, percentile rank, percentile value, percentile distribution

Frequency of Use

Percentiles are commonly used in academic and professional settings, particularly in fields such as mathematics, statistics, and data analysis. They are less commonly used in everyday conversation, but are still an important concept to understand.

Common Misspellings

percentle, percental, per центile, percental