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

About 80 per cent of City’s existing first-team squad went on the pre-season tour to Hong Kong and South Korea, meaning Maresca has been able to get his ideas across to most of the players. — Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Eligible students will be able to ride for 75 cents year-round at any time of day, and transfer between CTA and Pace services within two hours. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026

Gradually, Shaban becomes a ghost of himself, in what comes to feel like a natural outcome in a society where a man’s value can be calculated down to the very last cent. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 16 Aug. 2026

About thirty per cent of all adults are myopes; the rate is similar for hyperopes. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026

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

Rhymes for cent

• bent
• blent
• ent
• fent
• lent
• meant
• pent
• rent
• rente
• scent
• sent
• spent

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"