centenary

/sɛnˈtɛnəɹi/

Etymology

From Latin centēnārius (“containing 100; local official overseeing a hundred”) either directly or via French centenaire, from centēnī (“100 each”) + -ārius (“-ary”), from centum (“hundred”). Doublet of centner, kantar, and quintal.

centenary means of or related to the number one hundred, particularly; Occurring every 100 years. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 77 out of 100.

Why this word is great

CENTENARY — [Adjective, Noun] An event, object, or period marking a hundred years; specifically, a 100th anniversary. From Latin centēnārius ("containing 100; official over a hundred"), from centēnī ("100 each") + -ārius ("-ary"), from centum ("hundred"). Unlike "century," which simply denotes the indifferent passage of a hundred years, or "centennial," its transatlantic counterpart for celebration, "centenary" carries the specific, ceremonial weight of a milestone reached—the marker, not the span. It is the chill of a brass plaque freshly mounted on a weathered cornerstone, the must of a commemorative album opened for the first time in decades, and the faint, metallic tang in the air from a town-square monument polished for the occasion. A word that measures not just time, but the human need to stand at its fixed points and look both ways.

adj

Of or related to the number one hundred, particularly; Occurring every 100 years.
Of or related to the number one hundred, particularly; Lasting or aged 100 years, 100-year-old.
Of or related to the number one hundred, particularly; Of or relating to hundreds, the administrative unit.

noun

Synonym of centurion: An officer commanding 100 men, especially (historical) in the Roman army.
Synonym of century: a period of 100 years.
Synonym of centennial: a hundredth anniversary.“In the midst of a world war many centenaries pass unnoticed, but one which fell on August 2, namely, the opening of Fenchurch Street station, is deserving of record.”
Synonym of hundredweight, especially (historical) in Greek and Roman contexts.
Synonym of centgrave: a position in the Frankish Empire overseeing local administration.
Synonym of hundredman: a position in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms overseeing local administration.

verb

To celebrate the centennial of.