Century

Definition

Century is a noun. It refers to a period of one hundred years. It is commonly used to denote a specific hundred-year time span in history, such as the 20th century. It can also refer to a score of one hundred in sports like cricket.

Parts of Speech

• Noun

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈsɛnʧəri/
• Respelling: SEN-chuh-ree

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈsɛnʧəri/
• Respelling: SEN-chuh-ree

The pronunciation of "century" is identical in both American and British English.

Etymology

The word "century" originates from the Latin "centuria," meaning "group of one hundred." It was used in Roman times to refer to groups of one hundred soldiers and later adopted into English in the 14th century to signify a period of one hundred years.

Derivatives

• Centuries (plural noun)
• Centurial (adjective)
• Centennial (adjective/noun)
• Century-old (adjective)
• Centurion (noun, historically related)

Synonyms

• Hundred years
• Era
• Period

Antonyms

• None

Usage

The term "century" is commonly used to reference historical time periods, such as "The 19th century saw significant industrial progress." It can also refer to a score of one hundred in certain sports, as in "He scored a century in the cricket match."

Related Terms

• Millennium: A period of one thousand years.
• Decade: A period of ten years.
• Epoch: A particular period of time marked by distinctive events or characteristics.

Detailed Definitions

Noun

• A period of one hundred years: Typically used to measure large spans of historical time.
  • Example: "The 21st century began in the year 2001."
• A score of one hundred points, especially in cricket: Refers to a player achieving one hundred runs in an inning.
  • Example: "He celebrated his century with enthusiasm."