century Meaning, Definition & Usage

Cen"tu*ry noun

Etymology

L. centuria (in senses 1 & 3), fr. centum a hundred: cf. F. centurie. See Cent.

Wordforms

plural Centuries

Definitions

1. A hundred; as, a century of sonnets; an aggregate of a hundred things. Archaic.

   And on it said a century of prayers. Shak.

2. A period of a hundred years; as, this event took place over two centuries ago. ✍ Century, in the reckoning of time, although often used in a general way of any series of hundred consecutive years (as, a century of temperance work), usually signifies a division of the Christian era, consisting of a period of one hundred years ending with the hundredth year from which it is named; as, the first century (a. d. 1-100 inclusive); the seventh century (a.d. 601-700); the eighteenth century (a.d. 1701-1800). With words or phrases connecting it with some other system of chronology it is used of similar division of those eras; as, the first century of Rome (A.U.C. 1-100).
3. (Rom. Antiq.) (a) A division of the Roman people formed according to their property, for the purpose of voting for civil officers. (b) One of sixty companies into which a legion of the army was divided. It was Commanded by a centurion.