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• century
  century

  noun

  a period of 100 years.
• -century
  -century

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

century

¹ American  

[sen-chuh-ree] / ˈsɛn tʃə ri /

noun

• centuries
  plural

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.

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-century ² American  

[sen-chuh-ree] / ˈsɛn tʃə ri /

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.

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century British  

/ 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

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century Idioms  

1. see turn of the century.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• half-century
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• centuries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of century

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”; see decury

Explanation

100 years is called a century. The computer, the television, and video games were all invented in the twentieth century. People are now wondering what the twenty-first century holds for us. The noun century comes from the Latin word centuria, which was a group of 100, particularly a group of 100 Roman soldiers (one of 16 such groups in a Roman legion). The word today still can refer to 100 of something. In sports, a century is a score of 100 in a game of cricket. A race of 100 yards or 100 miles is also sometimes called a century. In slang, century can also mean a 100 dollar bill.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

century -century centuries

Donald Trump's portrait has made its way on to a US coin - the first time a living president has appeared on American currency in a century.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

Even under the report's most optimistic scenario, global temperatures would still peak at 1.8C before falling to 1.5C by the end of the century.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

Dr. Howard added: "Specimens collected over a century ago can still hold entirely new insights. By revisiting them with modern techniques, we can uncover discoveries that reshape our understanding of life on Earth."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

“Highly anticipated” doesn’t even begin to cover it; a quarter century since the film versions began lighting up the box office, the story of “the boy who lived” continues to entrance fans old and new.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

In the nineteenth century, it was scandalous for unrelated men, even doctors, to touch women’s bodies.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

As you write, “The post-Holocaust security of Israel thus stands as the constitutive exception on which 21st -century humanitarianism is based.”

From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2018

Until recently, many churches were that rare 21st -century phenomenon: the organically analog space.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2018

From posting on message boards to using Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, fertility doctors have appropriated 21st-century marketing methods to bring a 21 -century technology to the masses.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2012

Chase said the acquisition marked an expansion of the library’s collecting interests beyond its millions of rare books, manuscripts and historical items spanning from the 11th through the 21st centuries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

Militaries have, however, relied on mines for centuries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Better understanding may hold the key to resolving the current large uncertainty in the projected sea-level rise over the next couple of centuries.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

The Seneca Nation is calling on President Donald Trump to reverse his decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America,” arguing that the move disregards centuries of Indigenous history and the United States’ treaty obligations.

From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026

Many folklorists trace these songs back for centuries.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin