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.
As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage. Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2025 Rice also ranks in the top 6 percent in many of baseball’s contact metrics, including average exit velocity (93.4 miles per hour, 97th percentile), barrel percentage (15.7 percent, 94th percentile) and expected slugging percentage (.555, 96th percentile). Katie Woo, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025 Millennials make up the largest percentage of current pet owners (33%), followed by Gen X (25%) and baby boomers (24%). Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025 Per Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus, there have been 98 players who have rushed the passer 30-plus times this preseason, and Murphy ranks third in win percentage (23.6%), third in PFF pass-rush grade (85.4) and third in total pressures (eight). Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 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 21 Aug. 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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