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

• chance
• odds
• probability

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

Watch the Numbers The three numbers on a bag of fertilizer represent the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium the product contains. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2025

This is the largest percentage of your credit score. —Dan Avery, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025

At both the federal and state levels, government rules mandate that automakers sell a certain percentage of low-emission or zero-emission vehicles. —Robert Ferris, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025

As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacramento Bee, 11 Mar. 2025

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