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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 Last year, Gucci’s current creative director Alessandro Michele celebrated the house’s centenary with a nostalgic runway extravaganza. — Alice Cary, Vogue, 13 Jan. 2022 There have been several such tours in this century, including one, meant to mark the centenary of the tomb’s discovery, that was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. — Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2022 There’s the centenary of all sorts of events in his career coming up, but the connection to our own era feels deeper. — Jo Livingstone, The New Republic, 21 Jan. 2022 Grainger made further sense because this year is the centenary of his birth. — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2022 That third special will coincide with the BBC's centenary. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Apr. 2022 First unveiled in concept form in 2002, the Ford GT was meant as both a celebration of the brand’s centenary and a tribute to the car that brought it its biggest success on the track—the original Ford GT40. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2022 Human for the 2020 Paralympics and 100 Years, which marked the centenary of women’s right to vote. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Mar. 2022 Beyond this epic costume party tied to the centenary of the writer’s birth, the influence of Marcel Proust penetrated Saint Laurent’s imagination, whether through his blurring of masculine/feminine archetypes or as a broader reflection on time. — Amy Verner, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2022 See More

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.