What does centage mean?
Centage is a noun denoting a proportion reckoned per hundred — in effect, a percentage — but in practice it is most often used for a commission or fee taken as a share of the value of a transaction. An agent who sells goods on another's behalf might be paid a centage on each sale, just as a broker takes a cut of each deal. The word is formed from "cent," from Latin "centum" meaning hundred, combined with the noun-forming suffix "-age." It is considerably rarer than "percentage" and carries a somewhat old-fashioned, commercial flavour; it persists in British commercial writing, in legal and accounting contexts, and notably in South Asian English, where "centage" is still commonly heard for commission paid to middlemen. For most modern readers it will feel formal or archaic, but it remains a legitimate and precise term wherever money changes hands on a per-hundred basis.
nounA rate or proportion per hundred; a percentage or commission calculated as a share of an amount.
- A commission or fee calculated as a proportion of an amount transacted (common in commercial, agency, and betting contexts).
- A percentage or rate per hundred in general.
"The agent took his usual centage on every sale he brokered."
"He earned a fixed centage on every consignment of goods he sold on the firm's behalf."
"The centage of defective items was low enough to satisfy the inspectors."
Rarely pluralized; the uncountable singular is typical when referring to rates in general.
"Different brokers charge different centages on the same class of goods."
Long before "percentage" took over everyday English, traders and bookmakers simply talked about their "centage" — the cut they took for themselves.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of centage
Centage derives from the noun "cent," ultimately from Latin "centum," meaning "hundred," combined with the suffix "-age," which forms nouns denoting an amount, charge, or collective measure (as in "mileage" or "acreage"). The word emerged in English in the early nineteenth century as a convenient term for a rate per hundred, especially a commission. Its formation parallels "percentage," which has since become the dominant term, leaving "centage" largely confined to commercial registers and regional varieties such as Indian English.
How centage is actually used
Somewhat dated and formal, though it survives in commercial, legal, and South Asian English usage, where it can refer to commission charged by agents or middlemen.
Easily confused with centage
"Percentage" is the standard word for a rate per hundred, while "centage" is a rarer, chiefly commercial term that often refers specifically to a commission or cut calculated as such a rate.