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I have seen the word "percentage" defined as "a number or rate that is expressed as a certain number of parts of something divided into 100 parts". It seems to follow that 50% means "50 parts of something which is divided into 100 parts". Does the word percentage implies that the whole is 100? Am I being redundant if I use the phrase "percentage of one hundred"?

Context: I am trying to state explicitly that a number provided to my software should be in the form of "50" for 50%, not "0.50" (which, to be consistent, I would refer to as a percentage of one). My usage is as follows:

Provide the minimum discount given to this customer as a percentage of one hundred (15 for 15%).

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    percent comes from the Italian: per cento. x number for every one hundred, right. In your context, I would say: as a percentage. Percentage is by definition "of one hundred". So percentage of one hundred is redundant.
    – Lambie
    Commented Dec 18, 2017 at 18:03
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    "Percentage of one hundred" is redundant; there is no other kind of percentage. "percentage of one" is meaningless. In the context of your program, I can tell you from experience that you need to carefully validate your input here, and also provide clear instruction - as per YLearn's answer
    – peterG
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 0:57

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Yes! Percent (Per Cent) literally means "of one hundred."

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It is redundant, but I think what you meant to say is: "Provide the minimum discount given to this customer in the form of a percentage (and not as a decimal)".

If you don't want people to use the % symbol, give them an example of how to state it.

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  • OP might have edited the question since you responded. Simplest: Example - Enter "15" for a 15% discount.
    – Roister
    Commented Aug 4 at 18:41
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Yes, it is redundant ... for percent (%), "parts of 100" is assumed. Where 50% would designate half (of 100), 0.50% would designate one half of one percent ... as would 0.5%.

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