siècle

Siècle is a French noun meaning a period of one hundred years, i.e., a century. It is used to refer to a precise historical timespan, as in le vingtième siècle (the twentieth century), and to denote broader cultural eras, such as le siècle des Lumières (the Enlightenment).

Etymology and form: The word derives from Latin saeculum, via Old French siecle. The modern spelling, siècle, includes a circumflex over the e, reflecting a historical change in pronunciation. The noun is masculine: le siècle, and its plural is les siècles.

Usage notes: In French, centuries are typically written with Roman numerals followed by the word siècle, for example XIXe siècle or XIXe siècle. The term appears with various prepositions to mark time spans, such as du siècle, au cours du siècle, durant le siècle, or pendant le siècle présent. The phrase can also name definite historical periods, like le siècle des Lumières, to highlight a particular cultural or intellectual milieu.

See also: Century, era, chronology.