Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA large bronze or (rarely) small silver coin minted during the Roman Republic and Empire, valued at two and a half asses (a quarter of a denarius).
Origin
- Latinsēstertius“that is two-and-a-half”
- Englishsestertius
From Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”), from sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), in which “third” refers to the third as: the sestertius was worth two full asses and half of a third.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian сестерция
- сестерция (sestercija)Roman coin
Catalan sesterci
- sesterciRoman coin
Dutch sestertie
- sestertieRoman coin
Esperanto sesterco
- sestercoRoman coin
Finnish sestertius
- sestertiusRoman coin
French sesterce
- sesterceRoman coin
German Sesterz, Sesterze
- SesterzRoman coin
- SesterzeRoman coin
Italian sesterzio
- sesterzioRoman coin
Japanese セステルティウス
- セステルティウス (sesuterutiusu)Roman coin
Latin sēstertius
- sēstertiusRoman coin
Polish sestercja
- sestercjaRoman coin
Portuguese sestércio
- sestércioRoman coin
Russian сестерций
- сестерций (sestercij)Roman coin
Spanish sestercio
- sestercioRoman coin
Turkish sestertius, sesterce
- sestertiusRoman coin
- sesterceRoman coin
Cite this entry
sestertius. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sestertius
“sestertius.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sestertius. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sestertius,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sestertius.
Source: sestertius on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.