# cent

/ˈsɛnt/ (US) · /sˈɛnt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cent
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Senses

### 1. currency unit

noun · CEFR A1

a small unit of money that is worth one-hundredth of a dollar or a euro.

For teachers: a subunit of currency equal to one-hundredth of the basic unit in various countries, such as the dollar or euro.

- The candy costs ninety-nine cents plus tax.
- The exchange rate fluctuated by only a fraction of a cent during the morning trading session, showing unusual stability.

### 2. physical coin

noun · CEFR A2

a small coin that has the value of one cent.

For teachers: a physical coin representing the value of one cent.

- He found a shiny cent on the sidewalk and put it in his pocket.
- The collector examined the rare copper cent under a magnifying glass to check for minting errors.

### 3. musical interval

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a very small unit used to measure the difference between two musical notes.

For teachers: a logarithmic unit of measure used for musical intervals, where twelve hundred cents equal one octave.

- The piano tuner adjusted the string by just a few cents to make it perfect.
- The digital tuner indicated that the violin's A-string was flat by approximately five cents.

### 4. small amount of money

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

any small or unimportant amount of money.

For teachers: a negligible sum of money; frequently used in negative constructions to indicate total lack of funds or value.

- After paying his rent, he didn't have a cent left for food.
- The bankrupt firm was unable to pay its creditors a single cent after the liquidation of its remaining assets.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.