century

noun cen·tu·ry \ ˈsen(t)-sh(ə-)rē \

Definition of century

plural centuries

1 :a subdivision of the Roman legion

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

3 :a period of 100 years especially of the Christian era or of the preceding period of human history

the third century A.D.

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

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Examples of century in a Sentence

It took more than a century to complete the cathedral.
Millions of people celebrated the beginning of the 21st century on January 1, 2000.
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 of century from the Web

Many sewers in the U.S. and U.K. are centuries old and perfect for developing fatbergs.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "'Fatbergs' Are the Scourge of City Sewers," 17 Aug. 2017
For many decades and centuries, that was not the case.

— tatiana flowers, The Seattle Times, "Taylor Swift hopes verdict inspires assault victims," 15 Aug. 2017
His findings suggest that ZooMS can be used to analyze material that has been archived for decades and even centuries.

— gemma tarlach, Discover Magazine, "Proteomics: Moving Beyond DNA to Study the Past," 15 Aug. 2017
The last time Macy’s increased its sales, Donald J. Trump had not started running for president and the Chicago Cubs still had not won a World Series in more than a century.

— michael corkery, New York Times, "Wall Street’s Patience With Retailers’ Turnaround Efforts Runs Thin," 11 Aug. 2017
And those were the best centuries the Seven Kingdoms have ever known.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Is Daenerys About to Become the Villain on Game of Thrones?," 4 Aug. 2017
At partition a century later, both new countries staked a claim to the state.

— The Economist, "Vale of darknessBuffeted by both India and Pakistan, it is the Kashmiris who suffer most," 20 July 2017
That’s because, by the 1980s, the city already had a half-century culture of avo toast.

— john birdsall, Bon Appetit, "Why Are We Still Talking About Avocado Toast?," 19 July 2017
The high wall, which for the best part of two centuries sealed off the yard from the rest of Brooklyn, is still there.

— The Economist, "Man-buns and factory workUrban manufacturing in Brooklyn," 13 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of century

Latin centuria, irregular from centum hundred

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First Known Use: 15th century

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antedate, estival, gloaming, luster, sesquicentennial

CENTURY Defined for English Language Learners

century

noun

Definition of century for English Language Learners

: a period of 100 years
: a period of 100 years counted from the beginning of the Christian era

CENTURY Defined for Kids

century

noun cen·tu·ry \ ˈsen-chə-rē , ˈsench-rē \

Definition of century for Students

plural centuries

:a period of 100 years

Word Root of century

The Latin word centum, meaning “hundred,” gives us the root cent. Words from the Latin centum have something to do with the number 100. A dollar is made up of 100 cents. A century is a period of 100 years. A percent is the portion of something out of 100 parts.

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Spanish Central: Translation of century Nglish: Translation of century for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of century for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about century

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century

Definition of century

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Origin and Etymology of century

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CENTURY Defined for English Language Learners

century

Definition of century for English Language Learners

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century

Definition of century for Students

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