century

noun

cen·​tu·​ry ˈsen(t)-sh(ə-)rē 

plural centuries

1

: a period of 100 years

a company that has been in business for more than a century

specifically : one of the 100-year divisions of the Christian era or of the preceding period of human history

the third century A.D./B.C

the 18th century

2

: a group, sequence, or series of 100 like things

3

a

: a subdivision of the Roman legion

b

: a voting unit of ancient Rome constituted according to property qualifications

4

: a race over a hundred units (such as yards, miles, or meters)

Examples of century in a Sentence

It took more than a century to complete the cathedral.

The pottery dates back to the sixth century B.C.E.

When the prince got married, it was called the wedding of the century.

Recent Examples on the Web

Konstas opened the 2024-25 Sheffield Shield campaign with twin centuries against the eventual champions South Australia, becoming the youngest player to reach 100 twice in the same Shield match since Ricky Ponting in 1993. —Sam Dalling, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025

For Mamdani, the most inspiring political story of the twentieth century is not Ghana’s independence but South Africa’s transformation from apartheid to multiracial democracy. —Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is the second installment in Wilson’s American Century Cycle — his ten-play series chronicling the African American experience in each decade of the 20th century. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025

But its appeal can’t be divorced from the romance of its history, which properly began in the 19th century when English polo players began wearing oxford shirts as their preferred uniform, complete with collars that buttoned against the body to prevent their points from flapping in the wind. —Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin centuria, irregular from centum hundred

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing century

• century plant
• the turn of the century

Rhymes for century

• penitentiary
• plenipotentiary

Kids Definition

century

noun

cen·​tu·​ry ˈsench-(ə-)rē 

plural centuries

1

: a group of 100 things

2

: a period of 100 years