century

noun

cen·tu·ry | \ ˈsen(t)-sh(ə-)rē

plural centuries

Definition of century

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

3a : a subdivision of the Roman legion the third century A.D.

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

Nearly half a century later, the Kent State shooting remains a touchstone moment of the anti-war movement of the 1960s and ‘70s. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "6 Legendary Vietnam-Era Anti-War Movement Protests Everyone Should Know," 3 May 2019 The two and a half centuries that followed The Princess of Clèves constituted the great period of the adultery novel. — Daniel Mendelsohn, Town & Country, "How Infidelity Helped Create the Novel," 2 May 2019 Working conditions in factories were horrendous at the turn of the century. — Marlena Scott, Teen Vogue, "Many Women Who Died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 Were Young Immigrants," 25 Mar. 2019 The link between sleep and hormones is complex, according to the understatement of the century. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "How Much Sleep Do I Need?," 21 Mar. 2019 The bottling debuted at Brébant, the restaurant of the Eiffel Tower, in 1889, over a century before the non-dosage trend would sweep the champagne world off its feet. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "You Have the Founding Mothers of Champagne to Thank for the Bubbly You Drink Today," 8 Mar. 2019 For a state dinner at Buckingham Palace tonight, the Duchess of Cambridge donned a diamond and pearl necklace that's over a century old and has been running in the royal family for generations. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton's Diamond and Pearl Necklace Is Seriously Historic," 23 Oct. 2018 Dating back to the 4th century, many Christians have marked the end of the Christmas season on the Twelfth Night (or 12 nights after Christmas) — an evening also known as the Eve of the Epiphany. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "When Should You Take Your Christmas Tree Down? The Answer Will Definitely Surprise You," 24 Dec. 2018 Further Reading The complete history of the IBM PC, part one: The deal of the centuryWhen Intel failed to meet Redactron's needs for suitable silicon for the machine, Berezin's company designed and produced its own. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "Computing pioneer Evelyn Berezin died this week—she should be remembered," 15 Dec. 2018

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