# Centime > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Centime > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Centime.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centime > Source revision: 1355435285 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Fraction currency in several Francophone countries}}{{More citations needed|date=November 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Coin image box 1 double | header = 20 French Centime with [Marianne](/source/Marianne) on Obverse. | image = File:20 Centimes (France).jpg | caption_left = '''Obverse''': Marianne wearing the [Phrygian cap](/source/Phrygian_cap) of liberty. | caption_right = '''Reverse''': Face value and French motto: "[Liberté, égalité, fraternité](/source/Libert%C3%A9%2C_%C3%A9galit%C3%A9%2C_fraternit%C3%A9)". | width = 300 | footer = This coin was minted from 1962 to 2001. | position = right | margin = 0 }} thumb|right|10 French centimes (1963) thumb|right|10 French centimes (1963) A '''centime''' (from {{langx|la|centesimus}}) is a fractional [monetary unit](/source/monetary_unit).{{Cite web |title=Definition of 'centime' |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/centime |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=Collins |publisher=[HarperCollins Publishers](/source/HarperCollins_Publishers)}} It equals [one-hundredth](/source/Hundredth) of a [franc](/source/franc) in [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland), one-hundredth of a [dinar](/source/dinar) in [Algeria](/source/Algeria), and one-hundredth of a [dirham](/source/dirham) in [Morocco](/source/Morocco).{{Cite book |title=A Dictionary of Business and Management |date=2016 |publisher=[Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press) |isbn=9780199684984 |editor-last=Law |editor-first=Jonathan |edition=6th |chapter=centime |doi=10.1093/acref/9780199684984.001.0001}} It was formerly worth one-hundredth of a franc in other [Francophone countries](/source/Francophone_countries), such as [Belgium](/source/Belgium) and [France](/source/France), until the adoption of the [euro](/source/euro). In France, the usage of ''centime'' goes back to the introduction of the [decimal monetary system](/source/decimal_currency) under [Napoleon](/source/Napoleon). This system aimed at replacing non-decimal fractions of older coins. A five-centime coin was known as a ''sou'', i.e. a [solidus](/source/Solidus) or [shilling](/source/shilling). In [Francophone Canada](/source/Francophone_Canada) {{frac|1|100}} of a [Canadian dollar](/source/Canadian_dollar) is officially known as a ''cent'' (pronounced /sɛnt/) in both English and French. However, in practice, the form of ''cenne'' (pronounced /sɛn/) has completely replaced the official ''cent''. Spoken and written use of the official form ''cent'' in Francophone Canada is exceptionally uncommon. In the [Canadian French](/source/Canadian_French) vernacular ''sou'', ''sou noir'' ({{Lang|fr|noir}} means "black" in French), ''cenne'', and ''cenne noire'' are all widely known, used, and accepted monikers when referring to either {{frac|1|100}} of a Canadian dollar or the 1¢ coin (colloquially known as a "penny" in North American English). ==Subdivision of euro== In the European community, ''cent'' is the official name for one hundredth of a [euro](/source/euro). However, in French-speaking countries, the word ''centime ''is the preferred term. The [Superior Council of the French language](/source/Conseil_sup%C3%A9rieur_de_la_langue_fran%C3%A7aise_(Belgium)) of Belgium recommended in 2001 the use of ''centime'', since ''cent'' is also the French word for "hundred". An analogous decision was published in the ''[Journal officiel](/source/Journal_officiel)'' in France (2 December 1997). In Morocco, [dirham](/source/dirham)s are divided into 100 ''centime''s and one may find prices in the country quoted in ''centime''s rather than in dirhams. Sometimes ''centime''s are known as francs or, in [former Spanish areas](/source/Spanish_Morocco), [pesetas](/source/Spanish_peseta). ==Usage== A centime is one-hundredth of the following basic monetary units: ===Current=== [[File:Ethiopia, 25 centimes 1944, Selassie I.jpg|thumb|right|[Ethiopia](/source/Ethiopia), 25 centimes 1944]] * [Algerian dinar](/source/Algerian_dinar) * [Burundian franc](/source/Burundian_franc) * [CFP franc](/source/CFP_franc) * [CFA franc](/source/CFA_franc) * [Comorian franc](/source/Comorian_franc) * [Congolese franc](/source/Congolese_franc) * [Djiboutian franc](/source/Djiboutian_franc) * [Ethiopian birr](/source/Ethiopian_birr) (as santim) * [Guinean franc](/source/Guinean_franc) * [Haitian gourde](/source/Haitian_gourde) * [Moroccan dirham](/source/Moroccan_dirham) * [Rwandan franc](/source/Rwandan_franc) * [Swiss franc](/source/Swiss_franc) (by [French](/source/French_language) and English speakers only; Italian speakers use [centesimo](/source/centesimo). See [Rappen](/source/Rappen)) ===Obsolete=== [[File:Centim 1797-98, France, Première République.jpg|thumb|right|Centime 1797–98, [French First Republic](/source/French_First_Republic). First year of release.]] {{Incomplete list|date=August 2008}} * [Algerian franc](/source/Algerian_franc) * [Belgian franc](/source/Belgian_franc) (Dutch: {{lang|nl|centiem}}) * [Cambodian franc](/source/Cambodian_franc) * [French Camerounian franc](/source/French_Camerounian_franc) * [French Guianan franc](/source/French_Guianan_franc) * [French franc](/source/French_franc) * [Guadeloupe franc](/source/Guadeloupe_franc) * [Katangese franc](/source/Katangese_franc) * [Latvian lats](/source/Latvian_lats) (Latvian: santīms) * [Luxembourgish franc](/source/Luxembourgish_franc) * [Malagasy franc](/source/Malagasy_franc) * [Malian franc](/source/Malian_franc) * [Martinique franc](/source/Martinique_franc) * [Monegasque franc](/source/Monegasque_franc) * [Moroccan franc](/source/Moroccan_franc) * [New Hebrides franc](/source/New_Hebrides_franc) * [Réunion franc](/source/R%C3%A9union_franc) * [Spanish Peseta](/source/Spanish_peseta) * [Tunisian franc](/source/Tunisian_franc) * [Westphalian frank](/source/Westphalian_frank) ==References== {{Portal|Money|Numismatics}} {{Reflist}} {{Cent (currency)}} Category:Marianne Category:Cent (currency) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Centime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centime) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centime?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.