Percent: meaning, definitions and examples

Use 'percent' when describing a part out of 100, often in statistics or data reporting.

• 50 percent of the class passed the exam.
• Sales increased by 20 percent last year.

Use 'proportion' when talking about the relationship between parts within a whole, frequently used in context with scales and comparisons.

• The proportion of children to adults is 2 to 5.
• The proportions in this recipe are crucial.

Use 'ratio' when specifically discussing the relative sizes of two or more values, commonly used in mathematics and science.

• The student-to-teacher ratio is 10 to 1.
• Maintain a 2 to 1 sugar to water ratio.

Use 'fraction' when referring to a numerical quantity that is not a whole number, often used in mathematics.

• One-third of the cake was eaten.
• She only got a fraction of the bonus.

Use 'part' when talking about a section or piece of something larger, can be both literal and metaphorical.

• A part of the engine needs replacement.
• He plays a big part in the project.

Used to express a fraction of 100, often in statistics, finance, and reports.

• She got 95 percent on her exam.
• The company's profits increased by 20 percent this quarter.

Refers to a part of something that is divided among people, often used in business and social contexts.

• Each shareholder received an equal share of the profits.
• He wants his fair share of the inheritance.

Often used to refer to a specific section or piece of a whole, commonly used in food, but also in other contexts.

• She took a large portion of the cake.
• A portion of the proceeds will go to charity.

Refers to a portion or section of something larger, can be used in both physical and abstract contexts.

• This is the best part of the movie.
• He wants to be a part of the team.

Refers to the total or sum of something, can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.

• The amount of sugar in the recipe is too high.
• We need to reduce the amount of waste we produce.