percentage
noun
per·cent·age
pər-ˈsen-tij 
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
3
: an indeterminate part : proportion
4
a
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
Only a small percentage of Costco’s workforce is unionized, but the company has seen new stirrings of union activity in recent years.
—
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
By 1920, the Black industrial workforce had increased by more than 150 percent, whereas the percentage of Black farmers had decreased by 30 percent.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Studies show immigrant staff have not only increased as a percentage of its shrinking skills supply, but are also more likely to work in the roles which are in higher demand, despite, on average, being lower-paid.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
Ellis adds that individual values or family guidelines on spending and saving can also impact percentages, as well.
—Yolande Clark-Jackson, Parents, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for percentage
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Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
By 1920, the Black industrial workforce had increased by more than 150 percent, whereas the percentage of Black farmers had decreased by 30 percent.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Studies show immigrant staff have not only increased as a percentage of its shrinking skills supply, but are also more likely to work in the roles which are in higher demand, despite, on average, being lower-paid.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
Ellis adds that individual values or family guidelines on spending and saving can also impact percentages, as well.
—Yolande Clark-Jackson, Parents, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for percentage
Cite this Entry
“Percentage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percentage. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
percentage
noun
per·cent·age
pər-ˈsent-ij
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
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