What does percent mean?
Percent is a standard unit for expressing a proportion in relation to a hundred. It can name the unit itself, as in “a quarter of a percent,” or follow a numeral, as in “the population increased by 3 percent.” The phrase is used across public, commercial, scientific, and everyday contexts to make quantities easier to compare. Although “percentage” is frequently used in a related numerical sense, “percent” is especially natural when attached directly to a figure. In American English it is written as one word, while traditional British usage commonly separates it as “per cent.” The word derives from the Latin per centum, meaning “by the hundred,” and describes a straightforward system for expressing rates, shares, increases, decreases, and other relationships to a whole.
A unit of proportion equal to one hundredth of a whole.
"The margin fell by two percent."
The plural “percents” is uncommon because the word is normally used directly after a numeral without taking a plural marker.
Used after a stated number to indicate that amount for each hundred.
"The company reduced its energy use by 15 percent."
This is the most common modern use and usually follows a numeral.
The plural is possible but uncommon; “percent” normally follows a numeral without a plural form.
"The report compared gains of 5, 8, and 12 percents."
The word percent comes from the Latin phrase per centum, literally “by the hundred,” making it a compact way to describe any part of a whole.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does percent come from?
The word comes from Latin per centum, literally “by the hundred,” a phrase used in commercial and mathematical contexts before the modern English form developed. It entered English during the early modern period and was initially written as “per cent.” The numerical unit subsequently became a single word in standard American English, while the two-word spelling remained traditional in British usage.
Related word forms
How percent is actually used
In American English, “percent” is normally written as one word; traditional British style often uses “per cent” as two words. When a percentage is named rather than used numerically, “percentage” is usually more idiomatic: “a large percentage of voters” rather than “a large percent of voters.”
Easily confused with percent
A percentage is the numerical proportion being expressed, while a percent is the unit used to express it; “a high percentage” is usually more natural than “a high percent.”