A Latin loanword (from centurio) designating a Roman officer in charge of a century—roughly 100 men, though the actual number varied. Centurions were the backbone of Roman military structure, responsible for training, discipline, and leading their units in battle. Mark's Gospel uses this term exclusively in the passion narrative, where the centurion at the cross becomes the first Gentile to confess Jesus as God's Son (Mark 15:39). The word reflects the Roman military presence that permeated first-century Judea.