per cent

British

/ pə ˈsɛnt /

adverb

Also: per centum. %. in or for every hundred

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

a percentage or proportion
(often plural) securities yielding a rate of interest as specified

he bought three percents

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of per cent

C16: from Medieval Latin per centum out of every hundred

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.

If progression-free survival at six months did not improve by at least 20 per cent compared with previous studies, the trial would be stopped.

From Science Daily • Jun. 22, 2026

According to a 2024 profile of him, Su “spent almost 100 per cent of his time in China over the last 20 years.”

From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026

Thunderstorms had been predicted for Friday evening along with rain in 60 per cent of the region.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Statistics show that the amount of Reformer Pilates businesses in the UK rose by nearly 1,000 per cent between 2024 and 2025.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

“Just got one left. For ten per cent of my expectations. What’ll you give me for it?”

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

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