century

noun

cen·​tu·​ry ˈsen(t)-sh(ə-)rē 

plural centuries

1

: a period of 100 years

a company that has been in business for more than a century

specifically : one of the 100-year divisions of the Christian era or of the preceding period of human history

the third century A.D./B.C

the 18th century

2

: a group, sequence, or series of 100 like things

3

a

: a subdivision of the Roman legion

b

: a voting unit of ancient Rome constituted according to property qualifications

4

: a race over a hundred units (such as yards, miles, or meters)

Examples of century in a Sentence

It took more than a century to complete the cathedral.

The pottery dates back to the sixth century B.C.E.

When the prince got married, it was called the wedding of the century.

Recent Examples on the Web

With Mikko camped out to his right midway through the second stanza, Makar beat DeSmith glove-side with a wrister from the blue line for his 100th career goal, slaying the Avs’ power-play dragon and becoming the fastest active defenseman in the NHL to hit the century mark as a pro. —Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2025

Over the past two centuries, its concentration has more than doubled, a much faster increase than for carbon dioxide. —Rob Jackson, WIRED, 7 Jan. 2025

Advertisement There have been 10 earthquakes of at least magnitude 6 in the area where Tuesday’s quake hit over the past century, the USGS said. —Ken Moritsugu, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025

During Spain’s colonial rule of the Philippines, which lasted from the mid-sixteenth century until 1898, Spanish priests staged folk dramas in town plazas; called moro-moro, the performances featured Christian soldiers dramatically capturing Islamic strongholds. —Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin centuria, irregular from centum hundred

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing century

• century plant
• the turn of the century

Kids Definition

century

noun

cen·​tu·​ry ˈsench-(ə-)rē 

plural centuries

1

: a group of 100 things

2

: a period of 100 years