percent

adverb per·cent \ pər-ˈsent \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Examples: percent in a Sentence

Definition of percent

: in the hundred : of each hundred

See percent defined for kids

Origin and Etymology of percent

earlier per cent, from per + Latin centum hundred — more at hundred

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First Known Use: 1568

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

percent

noun

Definition of percent

plural percent or percents

1 plural percent

a : one part in a hundred

b : percentage

a large percent of their income

2 percents plural, British : securities bearing a specified rate of interest

See percent defined for English-language learners

Examples of percent in a Sentence

The value has increased half a percent.

Recent Examples of percent from the Web

Even that might be difficult, given that former President Barack Obama won only about 10 percent of white votes here in 2008 and 2012, according to exit polls.

— caren bohan, The Christian Science Monitor, "Democrats look to energize African-American, moderate white voters," 12 June 2018
Hotel occupancy tax revenue grew about 42 percent within five years while the city added at least 32 hotels, which Jones attributed to the district.

— joshua fechter, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio weighs new hotel fee to raise funds for tourism promotion," 12 June 2018
Arizona cab data is limited, but the number of taxi trips from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport fell at least 18 percent after UberX and Lyft began picking up passengers.

— rebekah l. sanders, azcentral, "Uber and Lyft are making it harder for Arizona seniors to get around," 12 June 2018
Since January, 65 prosecutors have resigned, retired, or been dismissed, according to Waxman — about 20 percent of the office’s lawyers.

— chris palmer, Philly.com, "6 months in, Philly DA Larry Krasner cementing national stature among reform advocates," 12 June 2018
Following the report, Boston Scientific shares rose about 11 percent to $35.46.

— jonathan saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, "Medical device giant Stryker considering Boston Scientific takeover, report says," 11 June 2018
Granted, my nephew comes from a small town in a red state that gave Donald Trump 50 percent of the vote against Hillary Clinton’s 45 percent.

— dahleen glanton, chicagotribune.com, "Even Trump's opponents need him to succeed in North Korea," 11 June 2018
At the University of Chicago, about 15 to 20 percent of incoming freshmen pair up on their own.

— nick anderson, Washington Post, "Should colleges let students choose their first roommate? Some say no.," 11 June 2018
Shares of Workday slipped slightly Monday, falling less than a percent to $123 per share.

— lucinda shen, Fortune, "Workday Snaps Adaptive Insights Off the IPO Market," 11 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'percent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of percent

1667

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

percent

adjective

Definition of percent

1 : reckoned on the basis of a whole divided into 100 parts

2 : paying interest at a specified percent

Recent Examples of percent from the Web

There is a 20 or so percent chance of isolated showers but nothing that will be a washout.

— doug phillips, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Summer already? Feels like it," 27 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of percent

1888

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

PERCENT Defined for English Language Learners

percent

noun

Definition of percent for English Language Learners

: one part in a hundred : an amount that is equal to one one-hundredth of something
: a part of a whole

PERCENT Defined for Kids

percent

adjective or adverb per·cent \ pər-ˈsent \

Definition of percent for Students

: out of every hundred : measured by the number of units as compared with one hundred a 15 percent raise My rent was raised 15 percent.

percent

noun

Definition of percent for Students

plural percent

: a part or fraction of a whole expressed in hundredths Ten percent of the class failed the test.

Word Root of percent

The Latin word centum, meaning “hundred,” gives us the root cent. Words from the Latin centum have something to do with the number 100. A dollar is made up of 100 cents. A century is a period of 100 years. A percent is the portion of something out of 100 parts.