century
UK: ˈsɛntʃəri | US: ˈsɛntʃəri
n. a period of 100 years
n. a score of 100 in cricket or other sports
n. (historical) a company in the ancient Roman army, originally consisting of 100 soldiers
The word "century" originates from the Latin centuria, derived from centum (meaning "hundred"). In ancient Rome, a centuria referred to a military unit of 100 soldiers, later evolving to denote any group or division of 100. By the 16th century, it acquired its modern temporal sense of "100 years." The morpheme cent preserves its Latin root meaning, while -ury functions as a noun-forming suffix, akin to -ary in other Latin-derived terms (e.g., "dictionary").
The 20th century saw unprecedented technological advancements.
The Roman general commanded a century of disciplined soldiers.
The batsman celebrated his century with a triumphant wave.
This manuscript dates back to the 15th century.
The museum exhibit explores art across five centuries.