ENGLISH
REFERENCE

percent

n. countable
A2 Elementary US //pɝˈsɛnt// UK //pəsˈɛnt// per·cent Academic

n. one part in every hundred. You use this to show how much of a whole something is, like a score on a test or a discount at a shop.

n. one one-hundredth part of a whole. Often used in statistical reporting to express proportions or rates of change.


SIMPLE

The shop offers a ten percent discount today.

CONTEXTUAL

Nearly eighty percent of the students passed the final exam on their first attempt.

COMPLEX

While the raw data suggests a significant increase, the actual growth represents only a small percent of the total market share when adjusted for inflation.

Synonyms
Origin

From New Latin per centum (“by the hundred”).

Usage

Often used with a preceding numeral; in American English, it is usually written as one word ('percent'), while British English often uses two ('per cent').

Pitfall

The percent of people is highThe percentage of people is highUse 'percent' with a specific number (e.g., '10 percent'); use 'percentage' when referring to a general portion without a number.

Idioms2 entries

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