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

The trash-bin selection is one of the key steps in the city’s fitful transition to paid trash service, nearly three years after city voters narrowly approved a ballot measure allowing the city to start charging for it after more than a century. —Sam Schulz, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2025

America’s most steadfast allies in this bit of the 21st century are the Gulf monarchies, true and unapologetic kingdoms big on pomp and light on participation. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025

One of a few surviving mid-19th-century farmhouses in the region, it’s listed on the Greenwich Landmarks Registry as the Elkanah Mead House. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2025

Twenty-first-century science fiction has played on this idea. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 29 Sep. 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