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

By the mid-eighteenth century, the mandolin had become hugely popular in Naples, Rome, and, above all, Paris. —Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026

Hart will, however, address the pair of 20-point comebacks the Knicks pulled off en route to the conference finals for the first time in a quarter-century, a sequence of bizarre events many called a fluke. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026

Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history. —Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2026

In the 1970s, George and Rita Arnold moved to his grandparents’ farmstead, with its century-old red barn, to farm. —Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026

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