percent

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is normally written as two words in British English but as one word (percent) in American English. In attributive use (i.e. before a noun), it is normally written with a hyphen in British English: a 12 per-cent increase. The type—per cent of is normally treated as singular if the noun is a collective or mass noun and as plural if the noun is an ordinary plural:

Fifteen per cent of the electorate has yet to make up its mind—Daily Telegraph, 1987

50 per cent of children with nut allergies also react to egg—Observer, 2007.

In American English, but not in British English, percent is also used as a noun, an alternative to percentage (a large percent of the population).

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A ratio comparison of two quantities expressed by using 100 equal parts, or hundredths; symbolized %. There are three major uses of percent: part of a whole, rate, and comparison of any two quantities.

Part of a whole

The basic idea of percent is as a ratio that shows a part of a whole. The technical name for the whole is base.

If 89 out of 100 problems are correct, the part-whole comparison shows 89/100 or 89% correct. If the whole is not already divided into equal parts, an equivalent ratio to 100 is found.

Certain ratios are easy to express as hundredths. When 3 baskets are made in basketball out of 10 attempts, an equivalent ratio using 100 is found from which the percent is obvious: 3/10 = 30/100 = 30%.

For 35 hits out of 126 times at bat, the ratio 35/126 is not easily expressed as a ratio using 100. Hundredths will be more obvious by dividing 35 by 126, and then reading the number of hundredths to find the percent: 35 ÷ 126 ≈ 0.278 or 27.8%. The percent is obtained by moving the decimal point two places to the right.

Rate

While percent always means a comparison to 100, percent can show a rate of so many per 100, not so many out of 100. A sales tax of 6% means a rate of 6 cents for each dollar, and this 6 cents is in addition to the dollar. The tax amount can often be calculated mentally by multiplying the 6% rate by the number of dollars.

Interest paid or interest received is done by using rates. Simple interest at a rate of 6% means $6 per $100 for a full year. If interest is calculated monthly on the unpaid balance and the yearly rate is 18%, the monthly rate is approximately 18% ÷ 12 or about 1.5%.

With compound interest, the amount of interest is added each compounding period, and this total amount is subject to compounding for the next period. For example, $1.00 invested at 8% will be worth 108% of $1.00 at the end of one year, or $1.08. The worth at the end of the second year is 108% of $1.08, or (1.08)². At this same rate, after 10 years the compounded value is (1.08)¹⁰ = 2.1589247, or $2.15, using 1.08 as a factor for 10 times.

Comparing any two quantities

Percent is used to compare any two quantities, but special care must be given to the base for the comparison. Comparison of city A with a population of 42,000 people and city B with 67,000 people will depend on the base. A compared to B is 42,000/67,000, 62.7%; A is 62.7% of B. B compared to A is 67,000/42,000, 1.595, or 159.5%; B is 159.5% of A. See also Arithmetic.

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[Etymology: ‘per hundred’] Symbols pc, pct, pph, %, the last being usual. A measure of proportion per 100 of the whole. A doubling of any entity is an increase to 200%, but an increase of only 100%.

Note that when expressing such things as proportional content in a mixture, such as alcohol and water, the dimension of measure must be included, e.g. by volume, or by mass, since the different components can have different specific masses. The qualifiers ‘mass fraction’ and ‘volume fraction’ can serve such a purpose. Often, particularly when expressed as pph and for ppm (parts per million), it is necessary to give two units of measure, the proportional ratio being indirect, e.g mg·L^-1 for the amount of substance dissolved in some liquid; the terms pph and ppm then should be omitted.
[Quinn T. J., Mills I. M. Metrologia Vol. 35, 799-906 (1998)]
[Giacomo P. Metrologia Vol. 37, 93-4 (2000)] (It is also necessary to indicate whether the proportion is to the solvent else to the solution.)

See also percentage point; pct; proof.

per cent, per hundred (per centum)

IN BRIEF: n. - A proportion multiplied by 100.

Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration — Thomas Edison Source: Newspaper Interview

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sign description: The O-hand slides infront of the face and moves down on an angle in front of the body.

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A fraction expressed as a number of hundredths. Twelve percent of a quantity, for example, is twelve one-hundredths of it. Twelve percent may also be written 12%.

or percent

symbol: %; containing or consisting of a specified numerical proportion (of some component in relation to a whole) expressed as a number fraction multiplied by 100; bearing a specified numerical relationship (to some quantity) similarly expressed. When the term per cent or the symbol % is applied to a solution, one of the designations w/w, w/v, or v/v may be appended according as the units used are mass per mass, mass per volume, or volume per volume, respectively.

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For a list of words related to percent, see:

• Quantities, Relationships, and Operations - percent: percentage

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See words rhyming with "percent."

Dansk (Danish)
adv. - procentvis
n. - procent
adj. - procent-

Nederlands (Dutch)
procent, percentage, (mv) effecten, per honderd

Français (French)
adv. - pour cent
n. - pour cent, centième, pourcentage
adj. - pour cent

Deutsch (German)
adv. - pro Hundert, Prozent
n. - Prozent
adj. - prozentig

Ελληνική (Greek)
adv. - τοις εκατό(ν)
n. - εκατοστιαία αναλογία
adj. - τοις εκατό(ν)

Italiano (Italian)
percento

Português (Portuguese)
adv. - por cento
n. - porcentagem (f)
adj. - por cento

Русский (Russian)
процент

Español (Spanish)
adv. - en forma porcentual
n. - por ciento
adj. - por ciento, porcentual

Svenska (Swedish)
adv. - procent
n. - procent
adj. - procent

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
以百分之...地, 每一百中有...地, 百分比, 百分数, 百分之...的, 每一百中有...的, 按百分之...支付利息的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adv. - 以百分之...地, 每一百中有...地
n. - 百分比, 百分數
adj. - 百分之...的, 每一百中有...的, 按百分之...支付利息的

한국어 (Korean)
adv. - 100에 대하여
n. - 퍼센트, 백분율, 이율의 공채
adj. - [숫자와 함께]...퍼센트의

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - パーセント
adv. - …パーセントだけ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(ظرف) بالمئه (الاسم) مئه بالمئه (صفه) مئوي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adv. - ‮למאה‬
n. - ‮אחוז‬
adj. - ‮אחד למאה‬

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