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
As the business grows, employee owners' ESOP accounts do, too, without contributing a cent. — Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026 Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero Jack Grealish (Everton) One of the great joys of last season was the sight of Jack Grealish getting approximately 75 per cent of his groove back on loan at Everton. — David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 The bank raised its price target to 19 cents per pound over three months, citing tightening inventories, India’s unexpected import program and deteriorating weather in India, Thailand and the EU. — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026 Orange County’s hotel tax is a 6-cent-per-dollar surcharge on hotel room and short-term rental stays, a lucrative funding source essentially dedicated to paying for tourism marketing and to building venues that create more tourism. — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 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 7 Sep. 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"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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