percent Definition
- 1one part in every hundred
- 2a proportion or rate per hundred
Using percent: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "percent" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The interest rate is 5 percent.
Example
Only a small percentage of the population has access to clean water.
Example
The company has seen a 20 percent increase in sales this year.
Example
She scored 90 percent on the exam.
percent Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for percent
Phrases with percent
per cent
an alternative way of writing 'percent'
Example
The interest rate is 5 per cent.
each of the 100 equal groups into which a population can be divided according to the distribution of values of a particular variable
Example
Her score was in the 90th percentile.
the difference between two percentages, usually used to describe changes in rates
Example
The unemployment rate decreased by 2 percentage points.
Origins of percent
from Latin 'per centum', meaning 'by the hundred'
Summary: percent in Brief
The term 'percent' [pərˈsent] refers to one part in every hundred, or a proportion or rate per hundred. It is commonly used to express interest rates, population statistics, and exam scores, as in 'She scored 90 percent on the exam.' 'Percent' can also be written as 'per cent,' and is associated with related terms like 'percentage point' and 'percentile.'
