centenary
noun
cen·te·na·ry
sen-ˈte-nə-rē 
ˈsen-tə-ˌner-ē
ˈsen-tə-ˌner-ē
-ˌne-rē
especially British sen-ˈtē-nə-rē
plural centenaries
centenary
adjective
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A centenary, like its cousin centennial, is an anniversary. Thus, the year 2013 may mark the centenary of a town's founding, and the year-long calendar of public events that the town sponsors for the occasion—that is, the celebration of the anniversary—can also be called a centenary. Individuals have their own centenaries, which usually celebrate their births; thus, Gerald Ford's centenary will occur in 2013, and John Kennedy's in 2017. And if you live long enough to be a centenarian, you'll be around to join the celebrations.
Examples of centenary in a Sentence
This year marks the centenary of the building's construction.
Recent Examples on the Web
London celebrated David Attenborough’s centenary on Friday, with the highlight being a special BBC broadcast evening event at the Royal Albert Hall in the British capital dedicated to the work of the legendary English broadcaster, natural historian and conservationist.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Sir David has been close with King Charles and the royal family for decades, and the official Royal Family social media sites also added their best wishes for his centenary — complete with images of him with a young Charles and his sister Princess Anne.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
And on this, his centenary, his fans made a point of finding him.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
If that wasn’t reason enough to visit Barcelona, 2026 marks the centenary of Gaudi’s death and the completion of his most iconic work, La Sagrada Familia.
—Eddi Fiegel, Robb Report, 7 May 2026
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Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Sir David has been close with King Charles and the royal family for decades, and the official Royal Family social media sites also added their best wishes for his centenary — complete with images of him with a young Charles and his sister Princess Anne.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
And on this, his centenary, his fans made a point of finding him.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
If that wasn’t reason enough to visit Barcelona, 2026 marks the centenary of Gaudi’s death and the completion of his most iconic work, La Sagrada Familia.
—Eddi Fiegel, Robb Report, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for centenary
Cite this Entry
“Centenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/centenary. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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