Rankings

'ræŋkɪŋz

nounmediumVery CommonGeneral

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A numerical or ordinal position assigned to items or entities, usually based on a predefined set of criteria, to indicate their relative standing or significance.

'ræŋkɪŋz

nounneutralmedium
General

A list of people or things ordered by quality or importance.

The magazine published its annual rankings of the top universities.

💡 Simply: Rankings are like a scoreboard that shows who's in the lead or how good something is. Imagine you're playing a video game, and the rankings tell you who has the highest score!

👶 For kids: Rankings are like a list that tells you who's first, second, third, etc. like in a race!

More Examples

2

The rankings of countries in terms of economic performance were released by the IMF.

3

She carefully reviewed the customer satisfaction rankings before making her decision.

How It's Used

Sports

"The team's rankings improved after winning the championship."

Business

"The company's rankings in customer satisfaction surveys were excellent."

Education

"University rankings are often considered by prospective students."

2

The process or system by which positions are assigned according to a defined criteria.

'ræŋkɪŋz

nounneutralmedium
Technology

The act of assigning a rank.

The committee is responsible for the rankings of the candidates.

💡 Simply: It's also about the action of figuring out who's the best and putting them in a specific spot on a list! Like deciding who is the winner.

👶 For kids: Rankings can also be when you decide who is first, second, etc. like when you are playing a game.

More Examples

2

The accuracy of the rankings is critical for fairness.

3

The rankings were conducted based on the defined methodology.

How It's Used

General

"The rankings of the participants were based on their scores."

Tip:Picture the act of putting things in order, from the most important or best to the least.

Idioms & expressions

climb the rankings

To improve one's position in a list or competition.

"The athlete is working hard to climb the rankings."

From the verb 'rank,' ultimately from Old French 'renc,' meaning 'row' or 'order.' The -ing suffix indicates an action or state, and the -s makes it plural.

Historically, used in contexts related to military and social hierarchy, gradually extending to competitive fields and performance evaluations.

Memory tip

Think of a school class: the rankings show who is the best at what!

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Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written