I. rank ‧ ing 1 /ˈræŋkɪŋ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
a position on a scale that shows how good someone or something is when compared with others:
She is now fifth in the world rankings.
II. ranking 2 BrE AmE adjective [only before noun] especially American English
a ranking person has a high, or the highest, position in an organization or is one of the best at an activity:
the panel’s ranking Democrat, William Clay
He’s the ship’s ranking officer (=the one with the highest rank) .