Century

usgb/ˈsentʃəri/
noun

A period of 100 years.

We live in the 21st century.
Visual representation of "century" - A period of 100 years.

Often appears as...

  • 21st century
  • last century
Definition 1 of 3
Visual representation of "century"
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Historical Eras

Centuries categorize history into 100-year blocks to simplify reference to specific eras.

Illustration for Historical Eras
The Renaissance spanned the 14th to the 17th century.
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Ordinal Numbers

When talking about centuries, use ordinal numbers like 20th, 21st to describe sequential order.

Illustration for Ordinal Numbers
The telephone was invented in the 19th century.
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Common Misunderstanding

The 20th century refers to the years 1900-1999, not 2000-2099, as might be commonly misunderstood.

Illustration for Common Misunderstanding
World War II happened in the 20th century.
Visual representation of the word "Century"

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