割合
Meaning in Englishrate, ratio, percentage
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 割合 mean? It denotes the share of a part relative to a whole, expressed as a proportion, a ratio, or a percentage; the core idea is comparing a part to the total to describe relative size in quantitative terms.
Main meanings
- Proportion, ratio, or percentage—the part of a whole relative to the total, used in math, statistics, and everyday discussion.
- Relative share in data, such as demographic or economic breakdowns, presented as a fraction or percent.
- Figurative use indicating degree or extent (割合に) meaning 'to a considerable extent' or 'to a noticeable degree'.
How to use it
Primarily a noun used in formal and technical contexts like statistics, economics, education, and journalism; common expressions include 割合が高い/低い and 割合を占める, with 実際の割合 referring to measured shares in data sets.
Variants and close terms
- 比率 (ひりつ) — ratio
- パーセント (pa-sento) — percent
Composition
- 割 = to divide; portion; share
- 合 = to fit; join; total
Etymology
割 (kun: wari) to divide; 合 (kun: ai) to fit or join; together they form the compound wariai, reflecting a combined sense of parts relating to the whole.
Origin
Sino-Japanese coinage using two native kanji that together express the concept of a part relative to the whole; the compound gained widespread usage as a standard term in Japanese writing.
Word class
noun (名詞)