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

Starting in the late 20th century, simple switch devices began to enable people with severe motor disabilities to access computers. —S. I. Rosenbaum, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2024

Second, that it is headed in the right direction, out of the identity politics that determined people’s outcomes for centuries. —Jonathan M. Hansen, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024

The solar eclipse, one of the biggest astronomical events of the century, is only two days away. —The Enquirer, 6 Apr. 2024

But given that women have been joining the workforce in droves for at least half a century, their share of top roles is still low. —Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

That’s something even Republican administrations in the 20th century did, though recent U.S. governments have been far more keen to hold Israel close. —Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024

Humans arrived in Rapa Nui around the 12th century, probably not long after Polynesians reached the Hawaiian archipelago. —Daniel Lewis, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024

The changes happening now were as dramatic as any that had occurred since the tidal inlet known as the Gowanus Creek was widened, deepened, and originally lined with bulkheads in the nineteenth century. —Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024

The birthplace of the Benin Bronzes—artifacts considered some of Africa’s greatest treasures, which in the 19th century were controversially looted from Benin’s royal palaces—the city’s connection to art has long preceded the current hype. —Funmi Fetto, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2024

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

Kids Definition

century

noun

cen·​tu·​ry ˈsench-(ə-)rē 

plural centuries

1

: a group of 100 things

2

: a period of 100 years