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.

Livestock farming currently makes up 60 percent of Somaliland's economy, so minerals are expected to be "a game-changer and become the main pillar of our economy," said Barre, the energy minister.

From Barron's

Authorities said they were "a million percent confident" the wrong man had been taken - neither Baghsarian nor his family had any links to organised crime.

From BBC

The challenge for the president is that his public approval ratings are hovering around 40 percent, and the American public wants him to do more to address their concerns.

From BBC

The crackdown had a dramatic impact on crime, reducing the murder rate by around 98 percent over 2015 levels, to the general delight of Salvadorans.

From Barron's

Unable to find jobs at home, some 2.5 million Nepalis -- 7.5 percent of the population -- work abroad to support their families, according to government figures.

From Barron's

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