percentage

noun

per·​cent·​age pər-ˈsen-tij How to pronounce percentage (audio)
1
a
: a part of a whole expressed in hundredths
a high percentage of students attended
b
: the result obtained by multiplying a number by a percent
the percentage equals the rate times the base
2
a
: a share of winnings or profits
b
: advantage, profit
no percentage in going around looking like an old sack of laundryWallace Stegner
3
: an indeterminate part : proportion
4
b
: favorable odds

Examples of percentage in a Sentence

If a goalie saves 96 out of 100 shots, his save percentage is 96 percent. The percentages of women completing high school and college were 95 percent and 52 percent, respectively. What percentage of your income do you spend on rent?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illinois now ranks 20th in the country, up from 30th a year ago, for the percentage of its hospitals earning A grades for safety. Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2025 In the first quarter, the company’s medical benefit ratio, which is the percentage of premium revenue that goes toward medical costs, decreased in the first quarter to 87.3% from 90.4% in the prior year. Bruce Japsen, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025 According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the community immunity threshold for measles — the percentage of a population that needs immunity in order to prevent the disease from significantly spreading — is between 92% and 94%. Ashley Fredde, Idaho Statesman, 1 May 2025 Ford builds a greater percentage of its cars at US plants than any other major automaker other than Tesla. Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for percentage

Word History

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of percentage was in 1757

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Percentage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percentage. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

percentage

noun
per·​cent·​age pər-ˈsent-ij How to pronounce percentage (audio)
1
a
: a part of a whole expressed in hundredths
a high percentage of students attended
b
: the result obtained by multiplying a number by a percent
the percentage equals the rate times the base
2
a
: probability sense 3a
play the percentages
b
: favorable odds

More from Merriam-Webster on percentage

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