Origin: Latin suffix -al
Centennial has 5 different meanings across 3 categories:
Noun · Adjective · Proper Noun
the 100th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
"The town held a grand parade to celebrate its centennial."
The hundredth anniversary of an event or happening.
"The town held a grand parade to celebrate its centennial, marking exactly one hundred years since it was founded."
In plain English: A centennial is an event that happens to celebrate 100 years since something began.
"The state celebrated its centennial with parades and special events across the whole region."
Relating to, or associated with, the commemoration of an event that happened a hundred years before.
"The town hall hosted a centennial celebration to honor the founding of the library one hundred years prior."
In plain English: Centennial means something that happens once every hundred years.
"The town held a festive parade to celebrate its centennial anniversary."
Usage: Use centennial as both an adjective describing events related to a 100-year anniversary and as a noun referring to the celebration itself. This term specifically marks exactly one century, distinguishing it from similar milestones like bicentennials which cover two hundred years.
A city in Colorado.
"Centennial is a vibrant city located in the state of Colorado."
Centennial comes from the Late Latin word centennis, which means "100-year," combined with the suffix -al. This origin gives the term its meaning of relating to a hundredth anniversary or century.