Percentage

Pronunciation

Origin

From Latin per centum, "for every hundred", + -age.

Full definition of percentage

Noun

1. The amount, number or rate of something, regarded as part of a total of 100; a part of a whole.A high percentage of secondary school leavers take a gap year.
2. A share of the profits.She gets a percentage for every vacuum cleaner sold.
3. (informal) Benefit or advantage.There was no percentage in staying at home.

Usage notes

A percentage is often denoted by the character (%).

Ex. 50% denotes 50 per cent.

Related terms

• percent
• percentile
• percentage point
• percentagewise