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.
Hypoxia in the Long Island Sound, which usually occurs in the summer, is when bottom water oxygen levels fall to a critical low percentage due to nitrogen from water runoff and backyard fertilizer use. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026 Practicing sect members are now believed to account for only a small percentage of the towns' populations. Arkansas Online, 28 June 2026 Minions & Monsters saw a strong percentage increase from Friday to Saturday of +143%, compared to Toy Story 5’s +123%, a good sign as the box office heads into the lucrative Winter school holidays, with half of the country on holiday from Monday, June 29, and three weeks of holidays ahead. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 June 2026 The expected vote percentage, or EEVP, is an estimate of the total number of votes that will eventually be certified. Vanessa Martínez, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 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 30 Jun. 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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