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

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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
In the 2024-25 season, Forest converted 30 of their 78 big chances (39 per cent), with Chris Wood scoring 13 of his 28. Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025 Additionally, extra surcharges for certain industrial operations will increase by 2 cents per year over the next five years. Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025 In this case, Nowak said that savings of 30 cents per unit implies roughly $10 billion in savings. Pia Singh, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025 Prices for mid-grade and premium fuel also jumped by eight cents or more on Tuesday. Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 21 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 23 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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