century

noun cen·tu·ry \ ˈsen(t)-sh(ə-)rē \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

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)

See century defined for English-language learners

See century defined for kids

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

Aguero has scored 30 goals across all competitions for the Citizens so far this year and is just one strike away from securing his double century for the club.

— SI.com, "Manchester City Star Sergio Aguero Hails 'Demanding' Pep Guardiola Ahead of Return From Injury," 10 Apr. 2018
Reform Judaism was born in Central Europe in the early 1800s as an effort to incorporate elements of Enlightenment thought with Jewish practice, then came into full flower in the United States around the middle of that century.

— abraham riesman, Daily Intelligencer, "Can Rabbi Rick Jacobs Save Liberal Zionism in the Age of Netanyahu?," 9 Apr. 2018
Buy Photo On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will close most of its galleries of Chinese art and objects in preparation for the first major refurbishment of those spaces in at least half a century.

— stephan salisbury, Philly.com, "Philadelphia Museum of Art's Chinese galleries to close as renovations march on," 9 Apr. 2018
And European and American historical and cultural ties go back centuries.

— jack ewing, New York Times, "Europe Caught in the Middle as Trump Threatens China," 9 Apr. 2018
Located in the Focus Gallery opposite the museum shop at the north entrance to museum's atrium, the show summarizes four-plus years of acquisitions with more than two dozen objects spanning a dozen centuries and five continents.

— steven litt, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Museum of Art spotlights recent additions to ever-growing permanent collection (photos)," 8 Apr. 2018
Sugarmann, however, said the difference between the two celebrations is the fact that the End Zone Militia men are in costume and firing weapons clearly centuries out of date.

— michelle r. martinelli, For The Win, "Why NASCAR’s Texas track won't give up its tradition of winners celebrating with guns," 6 Apr. 2018
These statesmen and philosophers articulated the principles of modern Anglo-American constitutionalism centuries before the U.S. was created.

— yoram hazony, WSJ, "The Dark Side of the Enlightenment," 6 Apr. 2018
The original Augie’s Barbed Wire Smoke House has been chugging along since the turn of this century, most of those years on North St. Mary’s Street.

— mike sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "52 Weeks of BBQ: Augie’s Alamo City BBQ Steakhouse," 6 Apr. 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.

Origin and Etymology of century

Latin centuria, irregular from centum hundred

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First Known Use: 15th century

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Other Calendar Terms

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.

Learn More about century

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

Examples of century in a Sentence

Recent Examples of century from the Web

Origin and Etymology of century

Other Calendar Terms

CENTURY Defined for English Language Learners

century

Definition of century for English Language Learners

CENTURY Defined for Kids

century

Definition of century for Students

Word Root of century

Learn More about century

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