ranking

UK: ˈræŋkɪŋ | US: ˈræŋkɪŋ

Definition
  1. n. a position in a hierarchy or ordered list

  2. n. the act of assigning positions based on performance or quality

  3. adj. describing something that establishes or reflects a hierarchy

Structure
rank <position/level>ing <noun suffix indicating action or result>
Etymology

The word "ranking" derives from the Middle English "rank," meaning a row or line, which itself comes from Old French "renc" (line, row) and Frankish *hring (circle, ring). The suffix "-ing" is a productive English suffix used to form nouns from verbs or to indicate the result of an action. Together, "ranking" originally referred to the act of arranging items in a row or order, evolving into its modern sense of assigning hierarchical positions.

Examples
  1. The university improved its global ranking this year.

  2. She achieved a high ranking in the chess tournament.

  3. The ranking system for employees is based on performance metrics.

  4. This list provides a ranking of the top 10 movies of the decade.

  5. Critics questioned the fairness of the team’s current ranking.