What does centiliter mean?
A centiliter is a metric unit of volume equal to one hundredth of a liter — ten milliliters, or about a third of a US fluid ounce. The word combines the Latin-derived prefix centi-, meaning one hundredth, with liter, the base metric unit of capacity. Centiliters appear most often on labels and menus in countries using the metric system: bottled drinks, spirits, and wine are frequently sold in centiliter quantities, and recipes or laboratory protocols may call for small volumes expressed this way. In American English the spelling is centiliter; British English uses centilitre, as with other -re words such as metre. The standard symbol is cL. Although the unit is perfectly valid within the International System of Units, speakers of English in the United States rarely encounter it outside imported goods, so it can feel slightly unfamiliar even to educated readers — a small reminder that everyday measurement vocabulary varies considerably across the English-speaking world.
nounA metric unit of volume equal to one hundredth of a liter.
- A metric unit of capacity equal to one hundredth (10⁻²) of a liter, symbol cL.
"The recipe calls for 25 centiliters of cream."
"A standard bottle of wine contains roughly 75 centiliters."
"Add two centiliters of vinegar to the dressing and whisk thoroughly."
In American English; British English uses centilitres. As with most units, the plural is used after numerals greater than one ("five centiliters"), though the singular appears after "per."
"The bartender poured three centiliters of gin into the shaker."
Order a beer in much of Europe and it arrives measured in centiliters — a unit Americans rarely say but constantly drink.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of centiliter
Centiliter was formed in the wake of the French Revolution's metric reform of the 1790s, when decimal prefixes were devised to subdivide base units. It joins centi-, from Latin centum meaning "hundred," to liter, which itself derives from French litre, likely via Greek litra, a unit of weight. The same centi- prefix produces centimeter and centigram, making these terms close siblings rather than true cognates in an older sense. The spelling centilitre reflects the British retention of French-style -re endings.
How centiliter is actually used
Spelled "centiliter" in American English and "centilitre" in British English. The unit is common in continental European contexts — beverage sizes, cooking measurements, and laboratory work — but is used far less often in the United States than liters or milliliters. The abbreviation is cL (capital C, lowercase L) in formal scientific usage.
Easily confused with centiliter
A milliliter is one thousandth of a liter, so it is ten times smaller than a centiliter.
A deciliter is one tenth of a liter, so it is ten times larger than a centiliter.