cent

1 of 3

noun

1
: a monetary unit equal to 1/100 of a basic unit of value (such as dollar, euro, rand) see birr, dollar, euro, leone, lilangeni, nakfa, rand, rupee, shilling at Money Table
2
: a coin, token, or note representing one cent
3
: the fen of the People's Republic of China

cent

2 of 3

abbreviation (1)

Cent

3 of 3

abbreviation (2)

Examples of cent in a Sentence

Noun A dime is worth 10 cents.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Some states, such as Hawaii, Illinois, California, and New York, might see their population of high-school graduates drop by more than twenty-five per cent. Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 19 May 2026 In 1900, only about 25 per cent of the world’s population lived in a recognizably ‘national’ state, of which there were no more than fifty (compared to nearly two hundred today). Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 There was then a surge and a pause around 85 cents/lb around the beginning of May. Sj Guest Editorial, Footwear News, 18 May 2026 In the United States, gasoline prices rose from 38 cents per gallon in early 1973 to 55 cents by 1974, a roughly 45% increase. Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for cent

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, hundred, from Latin centum — more at hundred

First Known Use

Noun

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cent was in 1782

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cent. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

cent

noun
ˈsent
1
: a unit of value equal to ¹⁄₁₀₀ part of a basic unit of money (as of a dollar or euro)
2
: a coin or bill representing one cent
Etymology

Noun

from early French cent "hundred," from Latin centum "hundred"

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