one percent
12
3.4
- noun
- /wʌn pərˈsɛnt/
:
el uno por ciento
- Discussions about income inequality often focus on how the one percent has disproportionate wealth.
- the top one percent
- the wealthiest one percent
- the richest one percent
Examples
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Deceit is the principal means by which the one percent maintains control over the 99%.
Blog text (24) -
This is why people hate the top one percent.
-
The Democrats serve half of the top economic one percent, and the Republicans serve the other half.
Blog text (32) -
The richest one percent of this country owns half our country's wealth... five trillion dollars.
-
Here is the real reason for the one percent's relentless assault on unions.
Blog text (24) -
Many activists argue that the policies favor the interests of the one percent over the middle class.
-
The documentary highlighted the lifestyle of the one percent compared to everyday Americans.
Synonyms
5
7.8
A person in the small top percent of a group by wealth or rank
Antonyms
How Wealthy
12
3.4
520
2.5
16
4.2
516
2.0
69
2.8
141
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal composition 'one' + 'percent' (1% of something) is transparent, so a learner will understand it denotes a tiny proportion. However the specific socio-economic sense 'the wealthiest one percent' is a conventionalized political/social label that cannot be fully derived from the constituents without prior exposure, so the meaning is partially but not wholly predictable.
Etymology
One percent as a social phrase uses one and percent to show one person out of every 100; imagine a room of 100 people where only one person has most of the money, so the phrase means 'the richest one percent' who hold most wealth and power.