Meaning & use
centimeter
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A metric unit of length equal to one hundredth of a meter.
Grammar: Countable; plural is centimeters. Often used after a number: five centimeters.
Patterns
- a few centimeters
- measure something in centimeters
- centimeters long/wide/tall
The table is ninety centimeters wide.
She grew two centimeters taller this year.
Use a ruler marked in centimeters for the drawing.
Word forms
| plural | centimeters |
|---|
Common combinations
- a centimeter long
- The insect is only a centimeter long.
- square centimeter
- The area is about ten square centimeters.
- cubic centimeter
- Doctors measure some medicines in cubic centimeters.
- measure in centimeters
- Please measure the fabric in centimeters, not inches.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cm
- The written abbreviation; use it in notes and labels, but say 'centimeter' in speech.
Word family
- metric adjective
- Relating to the decimal measuring system that includes the centimeter.
Commonly confused: centimeter or millimeter? centimeter or meter?
centimeter vs millimeter
A millimeter is one tenth of a centimeter, so it is much smaller.
centimeter vs meter
A meter is 100 centimeters; do not confuse the two when giving measurements.
Practice
The room is 300 ___ long.
Choose one answer.
After a number greater than one, use the plural 'centimeters'. 'Centimeter' is singular and would be wrong with '300'. The possessive forms are not used for measurements.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “centimeter”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.