cent

1 of 3

noun

ˈsent How to pronounce cent (audio)
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)

1
centigrade
2
central
3
centum
4
century

Cent

3 of 3

abbreviation (2)

Central

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
The required annual contribution would be 3 cents for every $100 in taxable property value in Baltimore. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 Walmart+ members can save 10 cents per gallon at over 13,000 stations nationwide, including Exxon, Mobil and other eligible stations. — Dan Avery, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026 Wikipedia has lost more than a billion monthly visits in the last four years—a twenty-five-per-cent drop that, because the site recruits its editors from its audience, also threatens its growth and quality. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026 On the surface, paying as low as 24 cents for an hour of streaming game time doesn’t sound completely unreasonable. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 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

Phrases Containing cent

Rhymes for cent

See All Rhymes for cent

Browse Nearby Words

census tract
cent
Cent
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Cite this Entry

“Cent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cent. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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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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