Definition of CENTENARY

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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

During a visit to the GRU headquarters earlier this month to mark the agency’s centenary, Mr. Putin commended the organization for its professionalism. — Ann M. Simmons, WSJ, "Head of Russia’s GRU Spy Agency Dies After Illness," 22 Nov. 2018 Dior Getty ImagesAnwar Hussein Meghan first wore Dior while attending a service to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force in July 2018. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "6 Brands Meghan Markle Wears That Also Make Adorable Baby Clothes," 21 Feb. 2019 The Arc de Triomphe, which cradles the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and was visited by world leaders last month to mark the centenary of the end of World War I, was besmirched with graffiti and vandalized inside. — Elaine Ganley, The Seattle Times, "Violent protests in France reveal a hard-to-heal fracture," 4 Dec. 2018 And then later this week on Thursday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend the 100 Days to Peace gala, an event which marks the centenary of the end of WWI, and raises money for a variety of veterans support organizations. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Meghan Markle Just Arrived at the WellChild Awards in a Power Suit," 4 Sep. 2018 But another, more significant composer has a centenary worth marking, too. — David Mermelstein, WSJ, "‘Debussy: His First Performers’ Review: Rare Restoration," 19 June 2018 And this season’s French accent will continue with a season-long emphasis on Debussy, in honor of the centenary of the composer’s death. — Melinda Bargreen, The Seattle Times, "Seattle Symphony’s opening night marks 2 milestones," 10 Sep. 2018 At a reception marking the centenary of the Royal Air Force at Buckingham Palace, Markle wore her hair in a low center bun with a Stephen Jones fascinator. — Wendy Sy, Allure, "Happy Birthday, Duchess: See Meghan Markle’s Hair Evolution Through the Years," 4 Aug. 2018 But as the country prepares to mark a centenary of restored statehood on February 16th, for visitors contemplating its turbulent history there are worse places to start. — The Economist, "CharlemagneLithuania hopes the next century is quieter than the last," 15 Feb. 2018

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