What does centimo mean?
A centimo is a fractional unit of money representing one hundredth of a base currency, analogous to the cent in the US dollar or the penny in sterling. The term comes from Spanish and has been used across a range of currencies: most famously as the subdivision of Spain's peseta until the euro replaced it in 2002, and today in currencies such as the Costa Rican colón. Because English-speaking countries do not use centimos, the word appears almost exclusively in contexts involving foreign exchange, travel, history, or economics — for example, describing prices in Madrid before the euro, or small denominations of Latin American coinage. Its plural is simply 'centimos'. While not part of everyday Anglophone vocabulary, it remains useful for anyone reading about Spanish or Latin American finance, where precision about small monetary units matters. Related terms in other languages include the French centime and the general English 'cent', all tracing back to the Latin 'centum', meaning hundred.
nounA centimo is a fractional monetary unit equal to one hundredth of the basic unit in certain currencies, most notably the former Spanish peseta and some Latin American currencies such as the Costa Rican colón and Peruvian sol.
- A monetary unit equal to one hundredth of the principal currency unit in countries using the term, historically including Spain's peseta and currently currencies such as the Costa Rican colón.
"The price had risen by just a few centimos, but shoppers still grumbled."
"He fished a handful of coins from his pocket and counted out the last fifty centimos for the bus fare."
"Prices were listed to the nearest centimo, giving the menu an oddly precise, old-world feel."
Regular plural; no apostrophe. Often used with quantities ('fifty centimos') rather than alone.
"She saved every spare centimo toward the trip."
The humble centimo outlived its own currency — Spaniards still say 'no tengo ni un céntimo' even though the peseta vanished with the euro in 2002.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of centimo
The word centimo derives from the Spanish 'céntimo', which itself traces back to the Latin 'centum', meaning 'hundred'. It entered English usage through contact with Spanish currency systems, particularly during the era when the peseta was subdivided into one hundred centimos. The same Latin root gives English a wide family of related words, including 'cent', 'century', and 'percent', making centimo a member of a large international vocabulary of decimal money terms.
How centimo is actually used
The word is used mainly when discussing foreign currencies, so it typically appears in travel, financial, or historical contexts. It is a neutral, technical term rather than colloquial vocabulary. In English text it is usually written without the accent that appears on the original Spanish form (céntimo).
Easily confused with centimo
A centime is the hundredth part of a franc (French/Swiss currency), while a centimo is the hundredth part of currencies like the Spanish peseta; they are parallel terms from different languages.