Synonyms

percent

American

[per-sent] / pərˈsɛnt /

Or per cent

noun

Also called per centum. one one-hundredth part; 1/100.
percentage.
British. stocks, bonds, etc., that bear an indicated rate of interest.

adjective

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′ /

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

percent Cultural

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Less than one percent of American adults are active-duty service members in the military, with an even smaller fraction of that percentage seeing combat.

From Salon

"We need a decisive victory. In February, we won 42.3 percent, and this time we want to exceed 50 percent," he said.

From Barron's

In a separate experiment, the same nanodots broke down a blue dye by 90 percent in just 20 minutes, demonstrating how powerful their chemical reactions can be even in complete darkness.

From Science Daily

Nicknamed "Jumbo" because of his length off the tee, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011 after being named on 50 percent of international ballots.

From Barron's

With more than 10 cancelled tours in December alone, Bun Ratana said his income has plunged by around 80 percent, to just $150, compared to the same month last year.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023