Cent Meaning
/sɛnt/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA subunit of currency equal to one-hundredth of the main unit of currency in many countries. Symbol: ¢.
nounA small sum of money.
Sentence Examples
Fifty-two per cent of British women prefer chocolate to sex.
The man lives from hand to mouth and never saves a cent.
There has been a 5 per cent decline in student numbers.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
She found a shiny coin worth one ____ on the sidewalk.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The cost of the small candy was only one ____ at the local shop today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥t Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥tóm Proto-Italic *kəntom Latin centum Old French centbor. Middle English cent English cent From Middle English cent, from Old French cent, from Latin centum, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥tóm.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"It's true. 1.7 cents to make 1 cent. That really makes the phrase “you have to spend money to make money” ring painfully true."
— 2015 November 22, “Pennies”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 3, episode 35, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:
"Every cent aside from his own expenses for the barest kind of living went to his down-and-out buddies."
— 1990, Lou Sullivan, From Female to Male: The Life of Jack Bee Garland, →ISBN, page 10:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She found a shiny coin worth one ____ on the sidewalk.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The cost of the small candy was only one ____ at the local shop today.