Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to or consisting of hundredths: Pertaining to division into or calculation by hundredths.
   • Being the ordinal number for one hundred: Denoting position in a sequence corresponding to the number 100.

Usage

• The adjective centesimal is used in technical, mathematical, and scientific contexts to describe a scale, division, or measurement system based on hundredths. It is a formal term.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The centesimal scale of the thermometer uses 100 divisions between the freezing and boiling points of water.
  • In a centesimal system, percentages are a natural form of expression.
  • He finished in the centesimal position in the marathon.

Advanced Usage

• Centesimal analysis: A method of expressing the composition of a mixture in parts per hundred.
  • The alloy's purity was determined by centesimal analysis.
• Centesimal grade: A unit of angle measurement where a right angle is divided into 100 grades.
  • The old survey used centesimal grades instead of degrees.

Variants and Related Words

• Century (n): A period of one hundred years.
• Cent (n): A one-hundredth part of a monetary unit (e.g., dollar, euro).
• Percent (n): One part in a hundred; per hundred.
• Centesimally (adv): In a centesimal manner; by hundredths.

Synonyms

• Hundredth: Constituting number one hundred in a sequence.
• Percentile: Relating to a value in a distribution below which a given percentage of observations fall.

Notes on Meaning

• The primary meaning relates to division into hundredths (e.g., a centesimal fraction is 1/100).
• The ordinal meaning ("100th") is less common and often found in very formal or historical lists.

Adjective

1. the ordinal number of one hundred in counting order
2. relating to or divided into hundredths