century

¹

[sen-chuh-ree]

noun

plural

centuries 

1. a period of 100 years.

2. one of the successive periods of 100 years reckoned forward or backward from a recognized chronological epoch, especially from the assumed date of the birth of Jesus.

3. any group or collection of 100.

   a century of limericks.

4. (in the ancient Roman army) a company, consisting of approximately 100 men.

5. one of the voting divisions of the ancient Roman people, each division having one vote.

6. (initial capital letter),  a style of type.

7. Slang.,  a hundred-dollar bill; 100 dollars.

8. Sports.,  a race of 100 yards or meters, as in track or swimming, or of 100 miles, as in bicycle racing.

9. Cricket.,  a score of at least 100 runs made by one batsman in a single inning.

-century

²

[sen-chuh-ree]

1. a combining form of century, affixed to the number that specifies the 100-year span cited, and used only as an adjective.

   19th-century American literature;

   a collection of 6th-century metal sculptures that was stolen in the late 20th century.

century

/ ˈsɛntʃərɪ /

noun

1. a period of 100 years

2. one of the successive periods of 100 years dated before or after an epoch or event, esp the birth of Christ

3. 1. a score or grouping of 100

      to score a century in cricket

   2. ( as modifier )

      the basketball team passed the century mark in their last game

4. (in ancient Rome) a unit of foot soldiers, originally 100 strong, later consisting of 60 to 80 men See also maniple

5. (in ancient Rome) a division of the people for purposes of voting

6. (often capital) a style of type

Other Word Forms

• half-century noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of century¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin centuria “unit made up of 100 parts (especially a company of soldiers),” equivalent to cent(um) “hundred” + -uria, perhaps extracted from decuria “a division of 10 men”; decury

Word History and Origins

Origin of century¹

C16: from Latin centuria, from centum hundred

Idioms and Phrases

see turn of the century.

Example Sentences

"Digital technology is an opportunity we cannot miss," she said, warning that "those who do not adapt risk becoming the illiterate of the 21st century".

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For almost half a century, smoking on flights helped mask the odors from fumes.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

According to Stats Perform, it is the first time this century that two teams scored less than 7 points in the first half and more than 40 after the start of the fourth quarter.

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Its athletes have won 862 medals at the Summer Games, which is more than most countries have won across all sports combined over more than a century.

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In 2022, the organization shook up nearly a century of tradition by moving the World Cup from summer to winter, because it was being held in the Gulf state of Qatar.

Read more on Wall Street Journal