cent

1 of 3

noun

ˈsent 

1

: a monetary unit equal to ¹/₁₀₀ of a basic unit of value (such as dollar, euro, rand) see birr, dollar, euro, leone, lilangeni, nakfa, rand, rupee, shilling at Money Table

2

: a coin, token, or note representing one cent

3

: the fen of the People's Republic of China

cent

2 of 3

abbreviation (1)

1

centigrade

2

central

3

centum

4

century

Cent

3 of 3

abbreviation (2)

Central

Examples of cent in a Sentence

Noun

A dime is worth 10 cents.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Analysts had been looking for $3.13 billion in sales and EPS of 99 cents, according to LSEG, and $797 million in operating EBITDA, according to FactSet. —Zev Fima, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024

This represents a 3 cent increase to the amount paid in the previous quarter. —Dividend Channel, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

With this promotion, the price per mile drops from 2.54 cents to 1.27 cents — a significant savings compared to Alaska’s usual rate of around 1.7 cents per mile at its best. —Stella Shon, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024

Shares in the company slid by 11 cents, or just over 4 percent, to $2.48 in after-market trading on the New York Stock Exchange. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, hundred, from Latin centum — more at hundred

First Known Use

Noun

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cent

• euro cent
• not one red cent
• per cent
• red cent

Kids Definition

cent

noun

ˈsent

1

: a unit of value equal to ¹⁄₁₀₀ part of a basic unit of money (as of a dollar or euro)

2

: a coin or bill representing one cent

Etymology

Noun

from early French cent "hundred," from Latin centum "hundred"