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
Noun
Recent Levada Center polling shows his approval rating is above eighty per cent. Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2024 Another report by Environmental Defence Canada found that shutting down Line 5 would raise prices by under 2 cents per liter. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2024 Disney far surpassed analyst expectations in the company’s most recent earnings, reporting earnings per share of $1.22 (adjusted), versus a forecast of 99 cents. Chris Morris, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 Nationwide, women in 2022 earned an average of 82 cents for each dollar men earned, according to data from the Pew Research Center. Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024 Compared with White men, Black women earn 67 cents on the dollar, not 56. Erin Cox, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 The popular nationwide gas station will take 40 cents off Arizonan's receipts as the Fuel Day sale returns to metro Phoenix. The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024 And that debt is trading at about 5 cents on the dollar. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 Graham advocated in-depth company and industry analysis to uncover sound, growing businesses selling for 50 cents on the dollar. Charles Rotblut, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near cent

Cite this Entry

“Cent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cent. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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"

More from Merriam-Webster on cent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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