Percentage

/pərˈsɛntɪdʒ/ noun

Definition

An amount or share expressed as a percent. It can also mean the part of something that one group or amount makes up.

Etymology

From “percent” plus the suffix “-age,” which often turns ideas into nouns meaning ‘a collection’ or ‘result.’ It formed in English as people needed a word for the amount represented by a percent.

Kelly Says

Percentage is the ‘chunk’ you actually get when you use a percent. If percent is the idea ‘out of 100,’ percentage is the real slice you’re talking about in life, money, or data.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.