cent

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noun \ˈsent\

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

OIL: Benchmark U.S. crude added 53 cents to $45.66 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

— youkyung lee, The Seattle Times, "Asian stocks lower on NK worries, mixed signals from Fed", 6 July 2017
Wheat accounts for only a small part of the cost to make most products -- often just a few cents for a loaf of bread.

— jeff wilson, Bloomberg.com, "Fear Not, Pasta Lovers: Your Meal Is Safe From Wheat Price Surge", 5 July 2017
Specifically, Worldpay shareholders would 60 cents per share in cash and 0.672 new shares of Vantiv for every share of Worldpay.

— alexander coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Vantiv merger could vault it onto the Fortune 500", 5 July 2017
According to CNN, women in the White House earn only 80 cents for every dollar a man makes.

— amy mackelden, Marie Claire, "Women in Trump's White House Are Experiencing a Pay Gap", 4 July 2017
Gold and copper miner Newmont Mining fell 50 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $31.89.

— marley jay, Philly.com, "Auto sales, factory report boost stocks", 4 July 2017
Up until then, consumers shouldn’t have to pay a cent.

— kenneth r. harney, miamiherald, "Lousy credit? Know that ‘credit repair’ services are often scammers", 3 July 2017
U.S. crude futures rose 19 cents, or 0.42%, to $44.93 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

— alison sider, WSJ, "Crude Rally Continues on U.S. Output, Inventory Data", 29 June 2017
July 4th at Dodger Stadium WHERE: Dodger Stadium WHEN: July 4, game starts at 6:10 p.m. WHAT: Watch the home team take on the Arizona Diamondbacks, and stick around after the game for Independence Day fireworks presented by 99 Cents Only Stores.

— lisa beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best 4th of July Fireworks Shows in Los Angeles: 2017", 29 June 2017

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

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First Known Use: 1782

See Words from the same year

cent

abbreviation

Definition of cent

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

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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

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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.