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

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 The centenary of Debussy’s death falls on March 25th. — The Economist, "A biography of Debussy explores his genius and flaws," 22 Feb. 2018 July 18 is the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birth, and across the world events are planned to mark it. — Peter Godwin, WSJ, "Mandela’s Troubled Legacy," 13 July 2018 In that regard, Mr. Obama seems an apposite speaker at Mandela’s centenary. — Peter Godwin, WSJ, "Mandela’s Troubled Legacy," 13 July 2018 Since the royal wedding, there has also been Trooping the Colour, where Meghan and Kate waved together from the Buckingham Palace balcony, Prince Louis’s christening on Monday and the Royal Air Force centenary celebration on Tuesday of this week. — Maura Hohman, PEOPLE.com, "Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Are Going on Their First Solo Outing Together!," 12 July 2018 This is just one event in a series today surrounding the RAF centenary. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Queen Elizabeth Kicks Off Today's Royal Air Force Centenary Celebrations at Westminster Abbey," 10 July 2018 The upcoming centenary of Roosevelt’s death in January 2019 offers us an opportunity to understand more about how presidential legacies are shaped by successive generations. — Michael Patrick Cullinane, Smithsonian, "Why Teddy Roosevelt Is Popular On Both Sides of the Political Aisle," 24 Apr. 2018 Harry and Meghan arrived in Dublin Tuesday evening, following a day of ceremonies in London celebrating the centenary of the Royal Air Force. — Maria Puente, USA TODAY, "Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry sample Dublin's charms in Ireland visit," 11 July 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.