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percent definition

per·cent (pər sent′)

adverb, adjective

per hundred; in, to, or for every hundred: symbol, % a 20 percent rate means 20 in every 100
also per cent or Now Rareper cent.

Etymology: < It per cento < L per centum

noun

  1. a hundredth part
  2. Informal percentage
  3. Brit. securities bearing regular interest of a (stated) percentage the four percents

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

percent Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • rise: Group sales rose 8 percent to £ 5.8 billion, thanks mainly to a 13 percent rise in sales at Waitrose.

Adjective modifier

  • ninety-five: Ninety-five percent of the students reported that they liked working with partners at the computers.

Modifies a noun

  • stake: Monsanto holds a 26 percent stake in Mahyco, according to published reports.

Noun used with modifier

  • forty: Forty percent of its staff has been laid off.

Preposition: of

  • respondent: The poll showed that 59 percent of respondents thought that Australian troops should be withdrawn and 36 percent said they should stay.

Preposition: per

  • annum: Seasonal loans are available for seasonal cultivation at an interest rate of 20 percent per annum.
percent usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

percent quotes

Six percent unemployment only looks good from the vantage point of the other 94 percent.

-Passell, Peter

percent quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"percent." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/percent>

APA Style

percent. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/percent

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