quintile

American  

[kwin-til, -tahyl] / ˈkwɪn tɪl, -taɪl /

noun

1. Statistics. a quantile for the special case of five equal proportions.

2. Astrology. a quintile aspect.

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adjective

1. Astrology. of or relating to the aspect of two heavenly bodies that are one fifth of the zodiac, or 72°, apart.

quintile British  

/ ˈkwɪntaɪl /

noun

1. an aspect of 72° between two heavenly bodies

2. a fifth part of a distribution

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Etymology

Origin of quintile

1600–10; < Latin quīnt ( us ) fifth + -ile (as in quartile )

Example Sentences

“In 2022 the cost of inflation for the lowest income quintile amounted to 12.28% of their current income, compared with 5.69% for the highest quintile,” the economists wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025

High-dividend stocks in the S&P 500’s top quintile, yielding 4.5%, showed 0.8 beta, indicating less volatility during market downturns.

From Barron's • Oct. 27, 2025

Only 1.7% of the benefits would go to the bottom 20% of households by income, compared with nearly 65% to the top quintile and more than 23% to just the top 1%.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025

The researchers found that, within each quintile of deprivation, exclusively breastfed infants used fewer healthcare services and incurred lower costs compared to infants fed any formula milk.

From Science Daily • May 22, 2024

The tendency is clear for those in a given high school quintile to be found in or near the same quintile in their university work.

From Vocational Psychology: Its Problems and Methods by Hollingworth, Harry L.