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

a

: a share of winnings or profits

b

: advantage, profit

no percentage in going around looking like an old sack of laundry

—Wallace Stegner

3

: an indeterminate part : proportion

4

a

: probability

b

: favorable odds

Synonyms of percentage

• probability
• 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

Warner Music in particular has eliminated a large percentage of its staff, but Sony has laid off a number of staffers in recent years as well. — Jem Aswad, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Prior to Monday night’s game between the Bills and Rams, the Bucs ranked seventh in the NFL in total defense, second against the run, tied for eighth in third-down conversion percentage and seventh in interception percentage. — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026

Polling aggregator FiftyPlusOne has El-Sayed with a four-percentage-point advantage over Rogers. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

But as has been noted, a huge percentage of likely voters remain undecided. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing percentage

• fielding percentage
• no percentage
• on-base percentage
• percentage point
• slugging percentage

Rhymes for percentage

• centage

Kids 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