percentage

noun

per·​cent·​age pər-ˈsen-tij 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
: 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.
There is always a small percentage of underperforming employees who have been retained due to the cost of finding a replacement. Sanjay Gidwani, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025 The amount consumers pay for prescription drugs depends on their health insurance plans, which often charge copayments or a percentage of the pharmacy bill. Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 13 May 2025 The 2025 Democracy Perception Index, commissioned by the Alliance of Democracies, found that a majority of people surveyed around the world had an overall negative perception of the U.S., a greater percentage than last year’s findings. Annabella Rosciglione, The Washington Examiner, 13 May 2025 Porzingis ranks last among all Celtics rotation players in both field-goal percentage (33.3%) and 3-point shooting percentage (13.6%) and has turned in seven single-digit scoring performances. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 13 May 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Percentage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percentage. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on percentage

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