centenary

[ sen-ten-uh-ree, sen-tn-er-ee; especially British sen-tee-nuh-ree ]

/ sɛnˈtɛn ə ri, ˈsɛn tnˌɛr i; especially British sɛnˈti nə ri /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for centenary on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or relating to a period of 100 years.

recurring once in every 100 years: a centenary celebration.

noun, plural cen·ten·ar·ies.

a centennial.

a period of 100 years; century.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of centenary

1600–10; <Latin centēnārius (adj.), equivalent to centēn(ī) a hundred each (cent(um) 100 + -ēnī distributive suffix) + -ārius-ary

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH centenary

centenary , centennial

Words nearby centenary

centaurs, Centaurus, centaury, centavo, centenarian, centenary, centenionalis, centennial, Centennial State, center, center back

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use centenary in a sentence

Branagh’s film gets its release in the same year as the centenary of the Partition of Ireland, marking 100 years of a divided island.
The Complex History Behind Belfast—and Its Echoes in Present-Day Northern Ireland|Alison Garden|November 11, 2021|Time
Soon after he assumed the party’s top job in 2012, Xi set a deadline for completing national rejuvenation by the PRC’s own centenary in 2049.
At Centenary Celebrations, Xi Jinping Says China’s Success Rests on the Communist Party. But In Reality, It’s All About Him|Charlie Campbell / Shanghai|July 1, 2021|Time
Perhaps more significant is that the awards come ahead of the Communist Party’s centenary in July, a politically sensitive event for China’s leaders.
China’s Oscars boycott mixes politics with push to curb Hollywood dominance|Lyric Li, Steven Zeitchik|April 22, 2021|Washington Post
Nobel Prize winners at a dinner to honor the centenary of the birth of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel prizes.
Are the Science Nobels Stuck in the 20th Century?|Charu Kasturi|October 11, 2020|Ozy

Then in 1989, I was asked to work on the Eisenhower Centenary.
This Republican Loved Taxes & Modern Art|Scott Porch|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the centenary of World War I, Europe's suddenly facing a crisis of Russian aggression.
Crimea Is Gone—What Does NATO Do Next?|Christopher Dickey|March 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Martin Luther King asked President John Kennedy to issue a new emancipation proclamation on the centenary of the first.
What Was the Goal of MLK’s March on Washington?|Charles Euchner|July 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Thus are the historiographical trenches dug for the centenary.
The Utterly Pointless First World War|Michael F. Bishop|May 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
July 31 marks the centenary of the birth of the high priest of monetarism, Milton Friedman.
Nicholas Wapshott: A Lovefest Between Milton Friedman and J.M. Keynes|Nicholas Wapshott|July 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Seven years from this present time will witness the Centenary of the railway system.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
The centenary of Petrarch celebrated at Avignon in 1874 tended to emphasize the importance and the glory of the new literature.
Frdric Mistral|Charles Alfred Downer
A large number assembled to celebrate the centenary of Cook's death.
Celebrated Travels and Travellers|Jules Verne
It also thinks that the Tribune is a try weakly and unique daily, besides being a four centenary.
Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 6, May 7, 1870|Various
The fifth centenary of his birthday, on the twenty-eighth of November, was to be kept with great rejoicings therefore.
Olive in Italy|Moray Dalton

British Dictionary definitions for centenary

centenary

/ (sɛnˈtiːnərɪ) /

adjective

of or relating to a period of 100 years

occurring once every 100 years

noun plural -naries

a 100th anniversary or its celebration

Word Origin for centenary

C17: from Latin centēnārius of a hundred, from centēnī a hundred each, from centum hundred

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

centenary

Origin of centenary

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH centenary

Words nearby centenary

Words related to centenary

How to use centenary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for centenary

Word Origin for centenary