centurion
Americannoun
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(in the ancient Roman army) the commander of a century.
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Military. Centurion, any one of various British battle tanks in service from 1945 to 1967.
noun
Etymology
Origin of centurion
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English, from Latin centuriōn- (stem of centuriō ), equivalent to centur(ia) century + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A centurion is a kind of soldier in the Roman army responsible for the command of a century, or one hundred, men. Centurion lives on in common language as the typical Roman soldier––countless generations of fifth graders have been asked to sketch their costumes. Their resilience in popular imagination may be ascribed to the role the centurion soldiers played in the Christian gospel story of the life of Jesus Christ.
Vocabulary lists containing centurion
Ancient Rome - Introductory
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The Son of Neptune
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Ancient Rome - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Not long after, he justified the roughly $130,000 investment the Rajasthan Royals made in a 13-year-old - becoming the youngest centurion in competitive senior cricket with a blistering 35-ball hundred against the Gujarat Titans.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Opening batsman Pathum Nissanka, a centurion against Australia, fell for nine exposing Sri Lank's shaky middle order and they folded in 16.4 overs.
From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026
Harlequins legend Care, 38, another Test centurion, made his England debut in 2008 and retired from international duty 16 years later in 2024; an unprecedented span.
From BBC • May 29, 2025
He reached 100 in just 124 games in the competition, which is 17 games quicker than any other centurion in Premier League history.
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2025
Back when Jason was a centurion, his cohort always got the unpopular chore of clearing out their nests.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
