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 first 10 years of the 20th century brought America its first gasoline filling station and paved road. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024

The Batesville Daily Guard, published continuously since 1877, is the only Batesville newspaper that has survived from about two dozen that were started in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. —arkansasonline.com, 2 Nov. 2024

The fading trade, named after the pointed structures that often cap church towers, goes back hundreds of years and by some accounts can be traced to at least the 11th century. —Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024

In the middle of the 19th century, little was known about this advanced culture—which calculated lunar, solar, and Venusian cycles, and invented hieroglyphic writing and the concept of the number zero with hardly any tools. —Anna Lagos, WIRED, 2 Nov. 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