The céntimo (in

Spanish-speaking countries The following is a list of countries where Spanish is an official language, plus several countries where Spanish language, Spanish or any language closely related to it, is an important or significant language. There are 20 UN member states whe ...

) or cêntimo (in

Portuguese-speaking countries The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (; : CPLP), also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth or Lusophone Community (), is an international organization and political organisation, political association of Lusophone nations across four co ...

) was a

currency A currency is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general definition is that a currency is a ''system of money'' in common use within a specific envi ...

unit of

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and their former colonies. The word derived from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

...''deci'', ''centi'', ''milli'', abbreviations of ''decimus'', ''centimus'', ''millimus'' and meaning ''tenth part'', ''hundredth part'', ''thousandth part''
(24 February 2010), . meaning "hundredth part". The main Spanish currency, before the

euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...

, was the peseta which was divided into 100 céntimos. In Portugal it was the real and later the escudo, until it was also replaced by the euro. In the European community ''cent'' is the official name for one hundredth of a euro. However, both ''céntimo'' (in Spanish) and ''cêntimo'' (in Portuguese) are commonly used to describe the euro cent.

Current use

Céntimo or cêntimo is one-hundredth of the following basic monetary units:

Portuguese cêntimo

Angolan kwanza The kwanza (sign: Kz; ISO 4217 code: ) is the currency of Angola. Four different currencies using the name kwanza have circulated since 1977. The currency derives its name from the Kwanza River (which is also written as: Cuanza, Coanza, Quanza) ...

São Tomé and Príncipe dobra The dobra () is the currency of São Tomé and Príncipe. It is abbreviated Db and is divided into 100 cêntimos. The first dobra (STD) was introduced in 1977, replacing the escudo at par. Due to past inflation, on 1 January 2018 the dobra was ...

Euro cent There are eight euro coin denominations, ranging from one cent to two euro (the euro is divided into a hundred cents). The coins first came into use in 2002. They have a common Obverse and reverse, reverse, portraying a map of Europe, but each cou ...

Spanish céntimo

* Costa Rican colón (but as

centavo The centavo (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese 'one hundredth') is a fractional monetary unit that represents one hundredth of a basic monetary unit in many countries around the world. The term comes from Latin ''centu ...

between 1917 and 1920) *

Paraguayan guaraní The guaraní (, plural: ''guaraníes''; currency sign, sign: ₲; ISO 4217, code: PYG) is the national currency unit of Paraguay. The guaraní is divided into 100 céntimos but, because of inflation, céntimos coins are no longer in use. The ...

Peruvian sol The sol (; plural: soles; currency sign: S/) is the currency of Peru; it is subdivided into 100 ''céntimos'' ("cents"). The ISO 4217 currency code is PEN. The sol replaced the Peruvian inti in 1991 and the name is a return to that of Peru's h ...

* Philippine peso (also called

in English) *

Venezuelan bolívar The bolívar is the official currency of Venezuela. Named after the hero of South American independence Simón Bolívar, it was introduced by President Antonio Guzmán Blanco, Guzman Blanco via the monetary reform of 1879, before which the Vene ...

Obsolete

Portuguese cêntimo

* Mozambican metica (never issued)

Spanish céntimo

* Peruvian inti * Peruvian sol (1863–1985) *

Sahrawi peseta The Sahrawi peseta (, ) is the ''de jure'' currency of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. It is divided into 100 céntimos, although coins with this denomination have never been minted, nor have banknotes been printed. The first Sahrawi p ...

Spanish peseta The peseta (, ) was the currency of Spain between 1868 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency, ''de facto'' currency used in Andorra (which had no national currency with legal tender). Etymology The name of the ...

References

Coins of Spain Cent (currency) {{money-unit-stub