What does centuplicated mean?
Centuplicated is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'centuplicate', which means to multiply something by one hundred — to increase it a hundredfold. The word is built on the Latin roots 'centum' (hundred) and 'plicare' (to fold), so its literal sense is 'folded a hundred times over'. It belongs to a small family of numerical verbs alongside 'duplicate' (twofold), 'triplicate' (threefold), and 'quadruplicate' (fourfold), but it sits at the far end of the scale and is far less frequently encountered. Centuplicated appears mainly in formal, historical, or analytical prose — describing populations, prices, output, or collections that grew a hundredfold — where precision about the magnitude of change matters. Because it is rare, readers may stumble over it, so writers typically reserve it for contexts that benefit from either exactness or deliberate rhetorical flourish. In everyday speech, the plain phrase 'increased a hundredfold' has all but replaced it.
verb (past tense and past participle of 'centuplicate')Multiplied by one hundred; increased a hundredfold. 'Centuplicated' is the past tense and past participle of the rare verb 'centuplicate', meaning to make something a hundred times as great in number or amount.
- Multiplied or increased by one hundred; made a hundredfold greater in number, quantity, or degree.
"The company's profits centuplicated within a decade, astonishing even its most optimistic investors."
"Within a single generation, the city's population centuplicated, straining every resource the founders had imagined."
"The scholar noted that manuscript copies of the text had centuplicated after the printing press arrived."
When ordinary growth isn't enough to describe, English offers a word for growing a hundredfold: centuplicated — from the same Latin root that gives us 'percent'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of centuplicated
Centuplicated derives from the Latin 'centum', meaning 'hundred', combined with '-plicate' from 'plicare', meaning 'to fold'. It follows the pattern of earlier borrowings such as 'duplicate', 'triplicate', and 'quadruplicate', which English adopted from Latin and post-classical Latin forms between the late Middle Ages and the early modern period; 'centuplicate' was formed on this established model. Cognates and relatives sharing the 'centum' root include 'century', 'centenary', and 'percent'.
Related word forms
How centuplicated is actually used
'Centuplicated' is rare and formal, appearing chiefly in historical, economic, or rhetorical writing where an exact hundredfold increase is meant. In everyday contexts, speakers almost always prefer the phrase 'increased a hundredfold' or simply 'multiplied'. Because it is unfamiliar to most readers, use it deliberately for precision or stylistic effect rather than as routine vocabulary.
Easily confused with centuplicated
Duplicated means multiplied by two or copied exactly, whereas centuplicated specifically means multiplied by one hundred.
Quintuplicated refers to multiplication or repetition by five, while centuplicated denotes multiplication by one hundred.