century
century Lexical Profile
century Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A period of one hundred years, especially one reckoned from the traditional date of the birth of Jesus Christ.
"Rapid technological advancements transformed daily life throughout the twentieth century."
A score of one hundred runs made by a single batter in one innings in cricket, or a long-distance cycling ride of one hundred miles.
"The opening batter received a standing ovation from the crowd after scoring her maiden test century."
A military company in the ancient Roman army, originally consisting of one hundred infantrymen commanded by a centurion.
"Each Roman cohort was divided into six centuries, which maneuvered closely together on the battlefield."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because calendar numbering began at Year 1 rather than Year 0, ordinal centuries are one ahead of their corresponding hundred-year digits; for example, the 20th century spans the years 1901 to 2000.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 16th century from Latin 'centuria' (a group or company of one hundred), derived from 'centum' meaning 'hundred'.