cent

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noun

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)

Cent

3 of 3

abbreviation (2)

Examples of cent in a Sentence

Noun A dime is worth 10 cents.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Over 13,200 messages came during that window, a 32 per cent rise on the previous year. Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025 Tansley Stearns, president and CEO at Community Financial Credit Union, told Newsweek the gap is not just about dollars and cents. Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 Though most of his property was destroyed in the fire, a carnival operator named Bunny Gibbons bought Gein's car and charged 25 cents for people to view it until authorities shut down the operation. Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025 Skull regularly sat on a bench outside the club, inviting people into the club where patrons could get a hamburger for 25 cents, two eggs for 50 cents and a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer for 35 cents. Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cent

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, hundred, from Latin centum — more at hundred

First Known Use

Noun

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cent was in 1782

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cent. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

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"

More from Merriam-Webster on cent

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