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

3 of 3

abbreviation (2)

Central

Examples of cent in a Sentence

Noun

A dime is worth 10 cents.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Motta routinely demanded six- or seven-figure settlements, and contingency fees often ran as high as forty per cent. —Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026

All of which led to a humbling vote in 2024 that rejected a proposal to extend a 3/8th-cent sales tax to help fund the team’s would-be new stadium and renovate Arrowhead. —Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2026

That gives about a dollar in fuel cost per mile versus about 60 cents two months ago. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026

Voters in the city, ranked by the California Office of Traffic Safety as the second-worst large city in the state for crash injuries and deaths, might soon consider a half-cent sales tax to help close the funding gap. —Chris Fusco. Story Produced With Ai Assistance, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 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"