cent

noun \ ˈsent \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Definition of cent

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

See cent defined for English-language learners

See cent defined for kids

Examples of cent in a Sentence

A dime is worth 10 cents.

Recent Examples of cent from the Web

Sure, a district could pass those costs onto your water bill, but think dollars and cents instead of thousands out of your bank account.

— ryan sabalow and dale kasler, sacbee, "No, Californians, you won't be fined $1,000 if you shower and do laundry the same day," 6 June 2018
If Williams were suspended under the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the Cowboys wouldn’t have to pay him a cent.

— peter dawson, star-telegram, "If Terrance Williams gets cut, who could the Cowboys add at wide receiver?," 6 June 2018
The number of marine heatwave days increased by 54 per cent from 1925 to 2016, with an accelerating trend since 1982.

— Smithsonian, "Ocean Heatwaves Are Getting Longer and More Intense," 2 June 2018
On Friday morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 223,000 jobs were added in May, bringing unemployment down to 3.8 per cent.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "President ensures market reacts to him, not jobs report.," 1 June 2018
Silencing the protests, silencing the Trump tweets, and trying to get the NFL out of partisan politics and contentious racial disagreements is kind of a no-brainer from a dollars-and-cents viewpoint.

— matthew yglesias, Vox, "NFL owners are stifling speech, but it’s not called “no-platforming” when you’re rich and own the platform," 25 May 2018
Almost everything about your life can influence your financial decisions, so get ready to talk about more than dollars and cents.

— nerdwallet, latimes.com, "Open up more than the books with your financial advisor," 11 May 2018
Worsham, who went on to become one of the world's most wealthy women, arrived in American as a teenager without a cent to her name, and maintained a mysterious past throughout her lifetime.

— madeleine luckel, Vogue, "After You See “Heavenly Bodies,” Seek Out the Met’s Historic Rooms," 10 May 2018
However, geopolitics isn’t always governed by dollars and cents alone.

— evan horowitz, BostonGlobe.com, "The Iran nuclear deal is dead. Now what?," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cent

French, hundred, from Latin centum — more at hundred

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1782

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

cent

abbreviation

Definition of cent

1 centigrade

2 central

3 centum

4 century

Other Weights and Measures Terms

avoirdupois weight, calorie, denier, kip, pace, twain

Cent

abbreviation

Definition of Cent

Central

CENT Defined for English Language Learners

cent

noun

Definition of cent for English Language Learners

: a unit of money that is equal to 1/100 of the basic unit of money in many countries : one percent of a dollar, euro, rupee, etc.

CENT Defined for Kids

cent

noun \ ˈsent \

Definition of cent for Students

1 : a hundredth part of the unit of the money system in a number of different countries

In the United States 100 cents equal one dollar.

2 : a coin, token, or note representing one cent

Word Root of cent

The Latin word centum, meaning “hundred,” gives us the root cent. Words from the Latin centum have something to do with the number 100. A dollar is made up of 100 cents. A century is a period of 100 years. A percent is the portion of something out of 100 parts.