cent

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noun

ˈsent 

1

: a monetary unit equal to 1/100 of a basic unit of value (such as dollar, euro, rand) see birr, dollar, euro, leone, lilangeni, nakfa, rand, rupee, shilling at Money Table

2

: a coin, token, or note representing one cent

3

: the fen of the People's Republic of China

cent

2 of 3

abbreviation (1)

1

centigrade

2

central

3

centum

4

century

Cent

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abbreviation (2)

Central

Examples of cent in a Sentence

Noun

A dime is worth 10 cents.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

From 2019 to 2024, that gain averaged twenty-three per cent, with no down years. —Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026

The net loss was $14 million, or 13 cents per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $15 million, or 13 cents per diluted share, in the prior year. —David Moin, Footwear News, 15 June 2026

Players of The Athletic’s pick’em game successfully backed both results, with South Korea winning 51 per cent of the vote pre-game, with just 16 per cent opting for a Czech victory. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 June 2026

Built from composite materials, the tank achieves more than a 20 per cent weight reduction compared to traditional metal alternatives. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 14 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, hundred, from Latin centum — more at hundred

First Known Use

Noun

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cent

• Euro cent
• not one red cent
• per cent
• red cent

Rhymes for cent

• bent
• blent
• ent
• fent
• lent
• meant
• pent
• rent
• rente
• scent
• sent
• spent

Kids Definition

cent

noun

ˈsent

1

: a unit of value equal to ¹⁄₁₀₀ part of a basic unit of money (as of a dollar or euro)

2

: a coin or bill representing one cent

Etymology

Noun

from early French cent "hundred," from Latin centum "hundred"