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
3
: an indeterminate part : proportion
4
a
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
Investors have taken notice, seeing a market that could one day include a significant percentage of all young American women.
—
Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 31 May 2026
An ever-greater percentage of medical procedures occur in outpatient centers.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
In unconventional formations, only a small percentage of hydrocarbons in place are typically extracted.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 31 May 2026
In the first 20 years of Dolan’s tenure, the Knicks had the worst cumulative winning percentage of any team in the NBA yet led Forbes’ ranking as the most valuable franchise 16 times.
—Matt Craig, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for percentage
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.
Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 31 May 2026
An ever-greater percentage of medical procedures occur in outpatient centers.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
In unconventional formations, only a small percentage of hydrocarbons in place are typically extracted.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 31 May 2026
In the first 20 years of Dolan’s tenure, the Knicks had the worst cumulative winning percentage of any team in the NBA yet led Forbes’ ranking as the most valuable franchise 16 times.
—Matt Craig, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for percentage
Cite this Entry
“Percentage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percentage. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
