How Long Is A Century? Meaning, Role, and Calculation Method

In this world, time has different units ranging from short periods to the longest ones. This includes seconds, minutes, hours, months, years, decades, centuries, and so on. However, have you ever wondered and questioned yourself, “How long is a century?” If yes, and you want to know the appropriate answer, then read this complete blog. Here, we will be sharing everything from its definition and significance to calculation methods and more, which will surely inform you about every aspect of this topic. 

Meaning And Existence Of Century

Thus, before knowing “how long is a century,” let’s first learn about its existence and meaning. Therefore, century is a term that is derived from the Latin word “centum,” which means “a hundred.” Hence, the word transformed and became “century”.  Moreover, the two calendar systems which better explain the system are mentioned below points:

The Gregorian Calendar: It was introduced in the year 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. Thus, this is the calendar that most of us are using to date. Moreover, in this calendar system, there are a total of twelve months, and each one has a different number of days. Thus, in this, a century begins with the year, which ends with 01, and the century ends with the year, which ends with 00. For example, according to the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century begins in 2001 and will end in 2100. 

The Julian Calendar: Another calendar that supports the answer to “How long is a century?” is Julian Calendar. This calendar was introduced in 45 BCE by Julius Caesar. Hence, it was the only popular and acceptable calendar before the introduction of The Gregorian Calendar. Furthermore, this system also has twelve months in total, but the year is longer as the leap year calculation varies. Thus, in this system as well, the century is 100 years, but the date fluctuates. For example, according to the Julian calendar, the 21st century begins in 2001 and will end in 2099. 

The Role Of Century

Still there’s a lot to learn before heading to “How long is a century?”. Therefore, the century is more than a unit to measure and calculate time as it also has an irreplaceable role in other fields. Therefore, to know about that, read the below-shared points: 

• Helps in understanding important events of history by breaking into centuries. 
• Reflects the evolution and adaptation of society as a whole. 
• Evidently, it represents the patterns and effects happening over a period of time.
• Allow for the examination of cultural differences, art, influence, and trends. 
• Help in comparing the technology and advancement from one period and region to another.

How Long Is A Century?

Now, it’s high time to answer how long is a century. So, as mentioned above, there are a total of 100 years span in a century. This unit shares the information about the change, developments, and events within the past or coming hundred years. For instance, the century highlighted the Industrial revolution of the 19th century and two world wars of the 20th century. 

Moreover, it follows a fixed sequence in which a century begins with the 1st year such as 2001 and ends on 00 such as 2100. Besides this, the very first century of this world is considered as year 1 to 100 which is followed by 2nd century from 101 to 200, and so on. 

Which Century are we Currently in?

Now when we know “How long is a century?” it’s time to explore our current century. So, keeping the confusion aside, if we talk about “what century are we in 2024,” then currently, we are living in the 21st century, which started on 1st January 2001 and will end on 31st December 2100. Furthermore, to make your calculation easier we also prepared a table with centuries and their years details so have a look at that as well. 

How to Calculate the Century?

Now when we know how long is a century, let’s move to its calculations then. Thus, there are different methods of calculating the century, as it entirely depends upon the year for which you are calculating. Therefore, to learn the formulas, read the below-shared methods:

1. Four Digit Year: If you want to calculate the century for a year which has four digits in it then you need to add “1” in the first two digits. 

• Formula: For finding the century of the year XXYY, the formula will be,

XX + 1 = Century it belongs

• For example: To find the century of 2023, the calculation will be,

20 + 1 = 21st Century

2. Three Digit Year: If you want to calculate the century for a year which has three digits in it then you need to add “1” in the first digit only. 

• Formula: For finding the century of the year XYY, the formula will be,

X + 1 = Century it belongs

• For example: To find the century of 302, the calculation will be,

3 + 1 = 4th Century

3. Year With 00 In End: If you want to calculate the century for a year that ends with 00, then you do not need to add anything to it as the first number is the century to which it belongs

• Formula: For finding the century of the year XX00, the formula will be,

XX + 0 = Century it belongs

• For example: To find the century of 1900, the calculation will be,

19 + 0 = 19th Century

Relation Of Different Century With Years Calculating Units

At this stage we have successfully received the answer to “How long is a century?” and now we should move forward to other units as well. So, a century is not the only unit that helps calculate the years. Thus, there are other units that support the calculation and measurement of years as well. Therefore, to know the relation of those units with each other, read the below-shared table:

Conclusion

In this blog post, we answered one of the most asked questions that is “how long is a century?”. Therefore, ranging from its definition in different calendars to significance, we talked about everything in detail. Moreover, we also highlighted formulas to calculate centuries for any year and also discussed the relationship of different year calculating units. I hope this article cleared all your queries and gave you the desired answers related to the century and its measurements. 

FAQs

How many years are there in a century and decade?

There are a total of 10 years in a decade and 100 years in a century. 

What is the next century of the world?

Currently we are living in the 21st century which will end in the year 2100 and the following century is the 22nd which will span from the year 2101 to 2200. 

What does the word century mean?

The term century came from the Latin word “centum,” which means “a hundred.” Therefore, the term was modified and became “century.”