turn of the century

Idioms  

1. The beginning or end of a particular century, as in That idiom dates from the turn of the century, that is to say, about 1900. This expression was first recorded in 1926.

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Example Sentences

In all, 16 members have died in office this decade, more than in any three consecutive Congresses since the turn of the century.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026

Between the Civil War and the turn of the century, the percentage of Americans identifying as Catholics doubled from about 8% of the population to 17%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Rebooting those series represents the "cultural centrality to television that was made before the turn of the century and even into the new century," Thompson said.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

The campaign for Mitchell, however, goes back much further to the turn of the century, when she cut her teeth defending Republican positions on the 2000 election.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

Since the turn of the century, politicians had been introducing state and federal laws with hopes of regulating human experimentation, but physicians and researchers always protested.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot