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 miners made a fortune.
—
Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The percentage of Hispanic voters drops from over 50% to just 36%.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
The Supreme Court is not allowed to make decisions because there's some poll that says some percentage of Americans feel one way or another.
—NBC news, 3 May 2026
According to Mike Ryan, mayor of Sunrise and chairman of the SWA, the plan will pass if governments representing 80% of the participating cities’ population approve it (the percentage was agreed to when the Solid Waste Authority was formed to make sure no single city could derail the plans).
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for percentage
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.
Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The percentage of Hispanic voters drops from over 50% to just 36%.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
The Supreme Court is not allowed to make decisions because there's some poll that says some percentage of Americans feel one way or another.
—NBC news, 3 May 2026
According to Mike Ryan, mayor of Sunrise and chairman of the SWA, the plan will pass if governments representing 80% of the participating cities’ population approve it (the percentage was agreed to when the Solid Waste Authority was formed to make sure no single city could derail the plans).
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for percentage
Cite this Entry
“Percentage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percentage. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
