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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That pairing, Shaw said, aims to show how artists today tap into ancestral knowledge in their work, just as Carver had done a century ago. Evan Nicole Brown, ARTnews.com, 20 Dec. 2024 Birders are flocking together for the annual Christmas Bird Count, a nationwide project created over a century ago to replace hunting traditions with birding. Shafaq Patel, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024 After a quarter century at Warner Records, Oklahoma native and 14-time country chart-topper Blake Shelton and the label have amicably parted ways. Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024 In the mid-19th century, American Jews were grappling with some complicated issues. Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for century 

Word History

Etymology

Latin centuria, irregular from centum hundred

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of century was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near century

Cite this Entry

“Century.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/century. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

plural centuries
1
: a group of 100 things
2
: a period of 100 years

More from Merriam-Webster on century

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