percentage

percentage — noun

1. a number or part that shows how much of a whole there is, usually with 100 as th

1.nounB2
Definition

a number or part that shows how much of a whole there is, usually with 100 as the total.

Example

Only a small percentage of the class wore glasses on photo day.

small percentage of + group

The chart shows what percentage of local homes use solar power.

what percentage of + plural noun

Common collocations
  • high percentage
  • low percentage
  • percentage of students
  • attendance percentage
  • percentage increase
Synonyms
  • proportion

    slightly broader; not always tied to a total of 100

  • rate

    often used for repeated results such as tax, interest, or success

  • fraction

    more mathematical; usually written as part of a number rather than out of 100

Grammar Patterns

a percentage of something

what percentage of something

high percentage

low percentage

Usage Note

Often followed by "of" plus the group or total being measured. Use "percentage" for the general figure, but use "percent" after an exact number, as in "25 percent".

Common Mistakes

The percentage was 40 percentage.
The percentage was 40 percent.
'percentage' names the type of figure; 'percent' is used after the number itself.

2. an extra benefit from something, or money you receive as your part of its profit

2.nounC1
Definition

an extra benefit from something, or money you receive as your part of its profits or sales.

Example

The travel agent gets a percentage from every hotel booking.

get a percentage from each sale

If the shop does well, Carla takes a percentage of profits.

take a percentage of profits

Common collocations
  • get a percentage
  • take a percentage of profits
  • percentage from bookings
  • no percentage in arguing
Synonyms
  • advantage

    covers the helpful side, but not the profit-share meaning

  • benefit

    broader and more modern for something useful or helpful

  • commission

    specifically payment based on sales or deals

  • cut

    informal word for someone's share of money

Antonyms
  • disadvantage

    something that makes a situation worse instead of helping

  • loss

    money gone or owed, rather than money gained

Grammar Patterns

get a percentage from something

take a percentage of profits

there is no percentage in doing something

Usage Note

Business use often appears with sales, bookings, profits, or tickets. The benefit use is rarer and commonly turns up in patterns like "there is no percentage in" plus an -ing form; distinguish it from sense 1, which is about numbers out of 100.

Common Mistakes

I get 10 percentage from every ticket.
I get 10 percent from every ticket.
after an exact number, use 'percent'; 'percentage' names the share more generally.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For sense 1, 'percentage' is the general noun for a figure showing how much of a whole something makes up. 'Percent' is usually used with the number itself, as in '40 percent', not as the main noun after words like 'high' or 'small'. 'Proportion' is broader and can describe any part of a whole, even when no total of 100 is mentioned. 'Rate' often focuses on a measured result such as tax, interest, or success over time. You can say, 'A high percentage of students passed the test,' but 'The interest rate rose to 6 percent.'

percentage ↗percent ↗proportion ↗rate ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a percentage of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Percentage' was built in English from 'percent' and the noun ending '-age'. 'Percent' came into English from French, from Latin parts meaning 'by the hundred'. That history matches the modern idea of measuring one part against a total of 100.