Centimeter (cm)

Definition

One hundredth of a meter (10⁻² m).

History

The centimeter is one hundredth of a meter, part of the decimal metric system introduced in France in the 1790s. It was the base length of the older centimeter-gram-second system before the meter-kilogram-second system prevailed.

Where it is used

Centimeters are the everyday metric unit for body height, paper and screen sizes, and clothing measurements.

Typical uses include height, paper and screen sizes, clothing measurements.

Conversion pages

These pages convert centimeter to or from another unit in length.

• Centimeter to inch

Other Length units

• Meter (m)
• Millimeter (mm)
• Kilometer (km)
• Foot (ft)
• Inch (in)
• Yard (yd)
• Mile (mi)

Sources

• BIPM SI BIPM, The International System of Units (SI), 9th ed. (2019) · Dataset reviewed Nov 11, 2026