percent

American  

[per-sent] / pərˈsɛnt /

Or per cent

noun

1. Also called per centum.  one one-hundredth part; 1/100.

2. percentage.

3. British. stocks, bonds, etc., that bear an indicated rate of interest.

---

adjective

1. figured or expressed on the basis of a rate or proportion per hundred (used in combination with a number in expressing rates of interest, proportions, etc.): %

   to get three percent interest.

percent Scientific  

/ pər-sĕnt′ /

1. One part in a hundred. For example, 62 percent (also written 62%) means 62 parts out of 100.

---

percent Cultural  

1. A fraction expressed as a number of hundredths. Twelve percent of a quantity, for example, is twelve one-hundredths of it. Twelve percent may also be written 12%.

---

Commonly Confused

In the senses “rate or proportion per hundred” and “proportion in general” percent and percentage are frequently interchangeable. With a preceding number, only percent occurs ( a 16 percent decline ); with no preceding number, either occurs, but percentage is much more common: a certain percentage (or percent ) of the land.

Other Word Forms

• percental adjective

Etymology

Origin of percent

First recorded in 1560–70; short for Medieval Latin per centum “by the hundred”; per, cent

Example Sentences

Cox Automotive forecasts a 0.1 percent dip in Toyota's auto sales in the first quarter.

From Barron's

Wall Street surged, with the Nasdaq up 3.8 percent and the S&P 500 adding almost three percent.

From Barron's

In the fourth quarter of 2025, Apollo Go delivered 3.4 million driverless rides, with total rides increasing over 200 percent compared to the same period a year prior, according to company filings.

From Barron's

Interest rates on mortgages have soared to as high as 20 percent.

From Barron's

Warren Buffett proposed a zero percent inflation target, arguing the current 2% goal is too high and compounds significantly over time.

From Barron's

Related Words

• bonus
• chunk
• fee
• interest
• proportion
• rate
• ratio
• royalty