What does hundred mean?
“Hundred” is the cardinal number for 100, used in ordinary counting, prices, measurements, dates, scores, and countless other contexts. Before a noun, it functions grammatically like a numeral and can be multiplied or divided, as in “two hundred” and “half a hundred.” It also has a conventional meaning of “a very large number,” particularly in expressions such as “a hundred reasons” and “hundreds of people.” Although the word can refer precisely to 100, English speakers often use it rhetorically to suggest abundance without implying an exact figure. In sports such as cricket and archery, a hundred is also a score or unit. The form “hundredth” is the ordinal, meaning 100th or one hundredth, and “hundreds” is the usual plural. The word’s simple sound and numerical importance have made it a foundational part of everyday English.
The cardinal number equal to 100.
"There were one hundred and twelve tickets sold."
“One hundred” is the standard form when the number is stated precisely, especially in formal or written contexts.
Denoting a quantity of 100, or a very large indefinite quantity.
"The museum has a hundred-year-old collection of maps."
When used in the sense of an unspecified large number, the expression is usually “a hundred” before a plural noun or “hundreds of” before a plural noun.
A group or score of 100, or an unspecified large number of people or things.
"A hundred cavalrymen guarded the entrance."
The plural “hundreds” is common in expressions such as “hundreds of applicants.”
“Hundreds” is used for multiple groups of 100 and, idiomatically, for a very large unspecified number: “hundreds of people.”
"The charity received hundreds of donations after the appeal."
The word "hundred" once named exactly 100, but English long ago turned it into a convenient stand-in for "a great many."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hundred come from?
“Hundred” comes from Old English “hund,” meaning 100, and originally referred to a round hundred, a group associated with ten tens. The Old English word passed into Middle English in the form “hund,” later becoming “hundred” through the influence of the related numerals “twenty” and “forty.” It is cognate with forms such as German “hundert,” Dutch “honderd,” and Icelandic “hundrað,” all reflecting the same Germanic origin. The sense for a large, indefinite number developed from the idea of a great many rather than from a separate numerical value.
Related word forms
How hundred is actually used
In formal numerical writing, "one hundred" is normally used before a noun or after a verb, while "a hundred" is more conversational. "A hundred" can also mean an unspecified large number; "hundreds of" similarly indicates a very large, indefinite quantity.
Easily confused with hundred
"Hundred" names the number 100, whereas "hundredth" is the ordinal form meaning 100th or one hundredth of something.
"Hundred" refers to 100, while "thousand" refers to 1,000.