Etymology

%

Today it means: Suffix forming speedrunning categories requiring a given percentage to qualify. Full definition →

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The story

Back-formation from any% or low%, in which the “%” was a literal indicator of the percentage completion the player would achieve in order to qualify for the given leaderboard category. The suffix was then broadened to form category names in general, where the suffixed term specified some condition about the category, e.g. what score must be obtained, items used, etc., in order to qualify.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.