century

¹

[ sen-chuh-ree ]

noun

, plural cen·tu·ries.

1. a period of 100 years.
2. one of the successive periods of 100 years reckoned forward or backward from a recognized chronological epoch, especially from the assumed date of the birth of Jesus.
3. any group or collection of 100:

   a century of limericks.

4. (in the ancient Roman army) a company, consisting of approximately 100 men.
5. one of the voting divisions of the ancient Roman people, each division having one vote.
6. (initial capital letter) Printing. a style of type.
7. Slang. a hundred-dollar bill; 100 dollars.
8. Sports. a race of 100 yards or meters, as in track or swimming, or of 100 miles, as in bicycle racing.
9. Cricket. a score of at least 100 runs made by one batsman in a single inning.

-century

²

[ sen-chuh-ree ]

1. a combining form of century, affixed to the number that specifies the 100-year span cited, and used only as an adjective:

   19th-century American literature;

   a collection of 6th-century metal sculptures that was stolen in the late 20th century.

century

/ ˈsɛntʃərɪ /

noun

1. a period of 100 years
2. one of the successive periods of 100 years dated before or after an epoch or event, esp the birth of Christ
3. 1. a score or grouping of 100

      to score a century in cricket

   2. ( as modifier )

      the basketball team passed the century mark in their last game

4. See maniple
   (in ancient Rome) a unit of foot soldiers, originally 100 strong, later consisting of 60 to 80 men See also maniple
5. (in ancient Rome) a division of the people for purposes of voting
6. often capital a style of type

Other Words From

• half-centu·ry noun plural halfcenturies

Word History and Origins

Origin of century¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin centuria “unit made up of 100 parts (especially a company of soldiers),” equivalent to cent(um) “hundred” + -uria, perhaps extracted from decuria “a division of 10 men”; decury

Word History and Origins

Origin of century¹

C16: from Latin centuria, from centum hundred

Idioms and Phrases

see turn of the century .

Example Sentences

Today’s two major parties have framed political competition since the middle of the 19th century — since the Republicans rose from the rubble of the Whigs.

From Washington Post

Maybe in another century I would have been a witch and burned at the stake.

From Washington Post

Later in the century mathematicians proved two other key facts that tied together scissors congruence and tiling.

From Quanta Magazine

More than 125 countries, representing more than two-thirds of global emissions, have either adopted or are discussing a goal of reaching net zero emissions by the middle of the century, Höhne said.

From Washington Post

In China, as early as the 15th century, healthy people deliberately breathed smallpox scabs through their noses and contracted a milder version of the disease.

From Vox

For more than a century, Americans have been fretting about these sorts of ghosts.

From The Daily Beast

In the 21st century women are earning their equality every step of the way… including the bedroom.

From The Daily Beast

Finally free of Japanese interference, Korea elected its first autonomous government in almost half a century.

From The Daily Beast

Warm milk mixed with a spoonful of fireplace ashes seemed to also be popular among 19th century England.

From The Daily Beast

The goal is to create a literary anatomy of the last century—or, to be precise, from 1900 to 2014.

From The Daily Beast

El Imparcial maintained that he was worthy of being honoured as a 19th century conquering hero.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a lofty and richly-decorated pile of the fourteenth century; and tells of the labours and the wealth of a foreign land.

From Project Gutenberg

We live in an age that is at best about a century and a half old—the age of machinery and power.

From Project Gutenberg

John of Damascus, an important Greek theologian of the eighth century, often cited by Thomas.

From Project Gutenberg

During the last century these were recast, and addition made to the peal, which now consists of twelve.

From Project Gutenberg