percentage

noun

per·​cent·​age pər-ˈsen-tij How to pronounce percentage (audio)
Synonyms of percentagenext
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.
Using ground meat with a lower fat percentage and forgoing the fruitless task of achieving any browning by cooking it hard means the meat will remain succulent and tender. Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026 This comes alongside a sharp upsurge in the percentage of people who've noticed rising prices. Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026 These funds allow investors to pull money out at certain times — for example, quarterly — and typically cap redemptions at a percentage of net assets, such as 5% per quarter. Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026 The highest percentage of those with financial burdens was families earning less than $50,000 per year. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026 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 24 Mar. 2026.

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

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