cent

1 of 3

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

More than ninety per cent of people who experience cardiac arrests outside of hospitals do not survive, they were told. — Helen Simpson, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Margin boosts Lowe's, on the other hand, said its tariff refund gave it an 11-cent boost to its earnings per share for the second quarter. — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026

The cost of gas on Aug 28 is 10 cents higher in Florida from the start of the week, and also up in Miami-Dade, Broward. — Miami Herald Staff, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

Maintenance and repair costs on a new car already run about 11 cents a mile, and that figure climbs as a vehicle ages and mileage increases. — Emily Mercer, USA Today, 27 Aug. 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"