percentage
percentage Lexical Profile
percentage Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A rate, number, or amount in each hundred; any proportion or share in relation to a whole.
"A large percentage of the university's graduates find employment within six months."
An amount, such as an allowance, duty, or commission, that varies in proportion to a larger sum.
"The literary agent receives a fifteen percent commission as her percentage of the book's royalties."
Personal advantage, profit, or practical benefit to be gained from a course of action (used chiefly in informal contexts).
"There is no percentage in arguing with the referee after the final whistle has blown."
Word Nuance & Usage
Use 'percent' immediately following a specific numeral (e.g., '20 percent of the budget'), whereas 'percentage' is used without an exact number or after descriptive modifiers (e.g., 'a large percentage of the budget'). Additionally, distinguish between a change in 'percentage' (relative change) and 'percentage points' (the arithmetic difference between two percentages).
• Rhymes for percentage
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 18th century from 'percent' (from Latin 'per centum', meaning 'by the hundred') combined with the noun suffix '-age'.