century

[ sen-chuh-ree ]

/ ˈsɛn tʃə ri /

noun, plural cen·tu·ries.

a period of 100 years.

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.

any group or collection of 100: a century of limericks.

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

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

(initial capital letter) Printing. a style of type.

Slang. a hundred-dollar bill; 100 dollars.

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

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

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Origin of century

1525–35; < Latin centuria unit made up of 100 parts, especially company of soldiers, equivalent to cent(um) 100 + -uria, perhaps extracted from decuria decury

OTHER WORDS FROM century

half-cen·tu·ry, noun, plural half·-cen·tu·ries.

Words nearby century

centuple, centuplicate, centurial, centuried, centurion, century, century plant, centésimo, ceo, ceorl, cep

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for half-century

After a half-century of frigid relations, the U.S. and Cuba have agreed to a thaw as the result of 18 months of secret talks.
Up To Speed: The Cuba Embargo|Nina Strochlic|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But music devices sound worse than they did a half-century ago.
Five Lessons the Faltering Music Industry Could Learn From TV|Ted Gioia|August 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I listened to music by Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck and Horace Silver—each of the tracks more than a half-century old.
Jazz (The Music of Coffee and Donuts) Has Respect, But It Needs Love|Ted Gioia|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For more than a half-century before “Stairway to Heaven,” recording artists had been doing this, usually with impunity.
Did Led Zeppelin Steal ‘Stairway to Heaven’?|Ted Gioia|May 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Boko Haram presents a more diabolical danger than anybody could have imagined a half-century ago.
We Built a School in Boko Haram’s Heartland|Michael Daly|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Four years more, and the world would reach the half-century mark.
A Little Girl of Long Ago|Amanda Millie Douglas
It has not grown much since, however, and the old adob buildings have not undergone change in a half-century.
America, Volume 6 (of 6)|Joel Cook
On July 16, 1901, occurred the most notable political event in a half-century of Danish history.
The Governments of Europe|Frederic Austin Ogg
At that time New York was hardly more than a big village, such as Boston continued to be for a half-century later.
Washington Irving|Henry W. Boynton
He lived for a half-century between his two ateliers, on the Place Pigalle, and at Neuilly.
Ivory Apes and Peacocks|James Huneker

British Dictionary definitions for half-century (1 of 2)

half-century

noun plural -ies

a period of 50 yearsduring the past half-century

a score or grouping of 50a half-century of points
(as modifier)as I near the half-century mark

British Dictionary definitions for half-century (2 of 2)

century

/ (ˈsɛntʃərɪ) /

noun plural -ries

a period of 100 years

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

a score or grouping of 100to score a century in cricket
mainly US (as modifier)the basketball team passed the century mark in their last game

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

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

(often capital) a style of type

Word Origin for century

C16: from Latin centuria, 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

Idioms and Phrases with half-century

century

see turn of the century.