What does percentage mean?
A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion as a number out of one hundred. For example, 25 percent means one quarter, while 60 percent means three fifths. The word is commonly used to describe shares of populations, survey responses, results, increases, and decreases. Although a percentage and a percent are closely related, a percentage is generally the numerical quantity itself, while percent is the notation or accompanying value. Percentages are useful because they make comparisons easier across groups of different sizes, but they can also be misleading when the underlying totals are small or the denominator is not stated clearly. For precise discussion of changes, a percentage point may be distinguished from a percentage change: a move from 10 percent to 12 percent is a rise of 2 percentage points, but a 20 percent increase relative to the original value.
nounA number or amount expressed as an proportion out of one hundred. It may also refer to the part or share of a whole represented by that proportion.
- An amount or proportion expressed out of one hundred.
- A share or part of a whole, especially when considered as a proportion of the total.
- A rate or change expressed as a proportion out of one hundred.
"A large percentage of the students supported the proposal."
"The percentage of applicants who received offers fell slightly this year."
"Sales rose by a substantial percentage compared with the previous quarter."
Used when referring to more than one percentage or to percentages considered as a category.
"The percentages differ significantly between the two regions."
The word percentage comes from a simple idea: counting by hundreds, a system that lets us compare very different quantities on the same scale.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does percentage come from?
Percentage entered English through the influence of Latin, combining per, meaning “by” or “for each,” with centum, meaning “hundred.” The underlying idea is “by the hundred,” referring to the custom of expressing proportions in multiples of one hundred. The same Latin root underlies words such as cent, century, centennial, and centimeter.
How percentage is actually used
A percentage is usually followed by “of” when referring to a part of a whole, and by a comparative form such as “increase” or “decrease” when describing change. In formal contexts, distinguish a percentage change from a change measured in percentage points.
Easily confused with percentage
A percentage is a numerical proportion or amount, while a percent is the sign or shorthand used to express that proportion, as in “50 percent.”