centennial

noun

cen·​ten·​ni·​al sen-ˈte-nē-əl 

: a 100th anniversary or its celebration

centennial adjective

centennially

sen-ˈte-nē-ə-lē 

adverb

Examples of centennial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The opening of the new Wolf Kahn Foundation and Archives comes one year before the centennial celebrations of the late artist’s birth. — News Desk, Artforum, 24 Aug. 2026

Earlier this year, with Brooks’ centennial approaching, the Cinematheque began thinking about how to mark the milestone. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Guess, Hyer sustainable jewelry brand Aurate and eyewear brand Dita have also released centennial collections. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026

The concert was titled Herbie Hancock Celebrates Miles Davis, and who better than Hancock, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s creative chair for jazz, to organize this celebration in honor of the centennial of Davis’s birth this year. — Peter Larsen, Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin centum + English -ennial (as in biennial)

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for centennial

• bicentennial
• biennial
• decennial
• millennial
• perennial
• quadrennial
• quinquennial
• triennial
• sesquicentennial

Kids Definition

centennial

1 of 2 noun

cen·​ten·​ni·​al

sen-ˈten-ē-əl

: a 100th anniversary or its celebration

centennial

2 of 2 adjective

: relating to a period of 100 years

centennially

-ē-ə-lē

adverb