ordinal scale

An ordinal scale is a way of measuring or ranking things where the order or position matters, but the exact difference between the ranks isn't necessarily known or equal. For example, in a race, finishing first, second, and third indicate their relative positions, but the time gaps between them might not be equal or known. Similarly, a survey asking respondents to rate satisfaction as "poor," "fair," "good," or "excellent" uses an ordinal scale, since it indicates a ranking of quality, but not how much better one is compared to another.