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.
Peabody Energy cut its first-quarter Centurion mine shipment forecast to 250,000 tons from 700,000 tons.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
The firm added that a successful ramp of Centurion is a “key component of the Peabody investment case.”
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
American Express just hiked the annual fee for its Platinum card—which includes access to its Centurion and now Sidecar lounges—to $895.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
The chicken Parmesan sliders are called Chicky Chicky Parm Parm and have the American Express Centurion emblazoned on the bun.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
She sounds like a Centurion, and I try to arrange my face in an appropriately sober manner.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
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.
