noun
percent
puh-SEHNT
noun
1
One part in every hundred; used to express a proportion of a whole.
"Almost ninety percent of the students passed the exam."
"Sales rose by fifteen percent last quarter."
How to Use Percent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA way of describing a share out of 100 — 50 percent means half of something.
UK vs US
British English often writes "per cent" as two words, while American English almost always writes "percent" as one.
Common pairings
fifty percent
percent increase
percent of
Word Forms
percent plural, percents plural
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Almost ninety _____ of the students passed the exam.
Etymology
From New Latin per centum, literally "by the hundred".