centurion

noun

cen·​tu·​ri·​on sen-ˈchu̇r-ē-ən 

-ˈtyu̇r-,

-ˈtu̇r-

: an officer commanding a Roman century

Did you know?

In ancient Rome, a century was approximately equal to a company in the U.S. Army, and a centurion was roughly equivalent to a captain. Centurions play a role in the New Testament; Jesus performs a miracle for a centurion in Capernaum, centurions are present at the crucifixion, and in later years St. Paul is arrested by centurions. According to a writer of the time, centurions were chosen for their size and strength, their abilities at swordplay and at throwing missiles, and the quality of their discipline, which was partly shown by how well their soldiers kept their own armor polished.

Examples of centurion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead, General Livius duels Commodus with javelins for the fate of Rome in a makeshift arena made of centurion shields. —James Grebey, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024

After just ten months, Caracalla gained the upper hand by ordering a group of centurions to kill Geta, reportedly while their mother held him in her arms, trying to protect him. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO and chairman, shared a video created by Movie Gen of himself doing leg presses — transported into different fake milieus, including one scene in which he’s dressed as a Roman centurion — on Instagram. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024

While in captivity, Sebastian becomes an object of desire for the colony’s centurion, who tortures and ultimately executes him for denying his affections. —Erik Morse, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin centurion-, centurio, from centuria

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above