Cent - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT cent /sɛnt/ /sɛnt/ IPA guide

Other forms: cents

A cent is a very small unit of money. In the US, one cent is the same thing as one penny.

A cent is 1/100 of a dollar — in other words, there are 100 cents in a dollar. Many other currencies have a cent as well, including the European Union, Estonia, and Hong Kong, representing 1/100 of the basic unit of money. The word cent comes from the Latin centum, "hundred." In Middle English, cent meant "one hundred," but by the 1600s it came to mean "one hundredth."

Definitions of cent

noun a fractional monetary unit of several countries see moresee less type of: fractional monetary unit, subunit a monetary unit that is valued at a fraction (usually one hundredth) of the basic monetary unit Sri Lanka rupee, rupee the basic unit of money in Sri Lanka; equal to 100 cents
noun a coin worth one-hundredth of the value of the basic unit synonyms: centime, penny see moresee less types: copper a copper penny new penny a coin used in Great Britain since 1971 worth one hundredth of a pound type of: coin a flat metal piece (usually a disc) used as money

Pronunciation US /sɛnt/ UK /sɛnt/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Vocabulary lists containing cent

Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: cent

This vocabulary list features words with the Latin root cent/i meaning "hundred."

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