Centigrade to Celsius Converter
Unit ConversionConvert centigrade to Celsius. The two scales are numerically identical.
Celsius
Equivalent temperature in Celsius
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SponsoredThis calculator converts a centigrade value to Celsius, and the honest answer is that no real conversion happens at all: centigrade and Celsius are the exact same temperature scale under two different names. Enter a centigrade value and the Celsius result will always be numerically identical.
Centigrade was the original English name for this temperature scale for roughly two centuries, from its invention in the 1740s until 1948. In that year, the International Committee for Weights and Measures officially renamed it Celsius, honoring the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius, and to remove confusion with an unrelated meaning of "centigrade" used for angular measurement in some languages.
If you are looking for an actual numeric conversion, this page will not help, since there is nothing to convert. For real temperature conversions, see the related converters below.
Why there is no real conversion
A genuine unit conversion, like Celsius to Fahrenheit, involves a real mathematical formula because the two scales measure the same thing with different reference points or step sizes. Centigrade and Celsius have no such difference. They are the same scale, the same zero point (freezing water), the same 100-degree gap to boiling water, and the same size of degree. The name changed; the numbers never did.
So 20 degrees centigrade is 20 degrees Celsius, 100 degrees centigrade is 100 degrees Celsius, and so on for any value, with no arithmetic required. For a real numeric conversion instead, see the Celsius to Fahrenheit Converter or the Kelvin to Celsius Converter.
The history of the name change
Anders Celsius, a Swedish astronomer, proposed the original version of this temperature scale in 1742, though notably, his version was the reverse of the one used today: 0 represented the boiling point of water, and 100 represented the freezing point. Within a few years, other scientists, most likely the instrument maker credited alongside Carl Linnaeus, flipped the scale to the familiar arrangement still used now, with 0 at freezing and 100 at boiling.
For roughly two centuries afterward, the scale was known in English as "centigrade," from the Latin centum (hundred) and gradus (steps), reflecting its 100-degree span between freezing and boiling. In 1948, the International Committee for Weights and Measures officially renamed it Celsius, in honor of Anders Celsius, and partly to eliminate confusion in some languages where a related term already meant one hundredth of a gradian, an unrelated unit of angular measurement.
Is centigrade still used today?
The term still appears informally, especially in older documents, some non-English languages, and everyday conversation, but "Celsius" is the correct, current name in scientific and international standards contexts. Both terms refer to the identical scale, so using one instead of the other never changes an actual temperature value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is centigrade the same as Celsius?
Yes. Centigrade was the original name for the scale before it was formally renamed Celsius in 1948, in honor of Anders Celsius. The numeric values are identical.
What is the formula to convert centigrade to Celsius?
There is no formula needed, since centigrade and Celsius are the same scale with the same numbers. A centigrade value and its Celsius equivalent are always identical.
Why was centigrade renamed to Celsius?
The International Committee for Weights and Measures renamed it in 1948, both to honor Anders Celsius, who proposed the original scale, and to avoid confusion with an unrelated meaning of the word in some languages, where a similar term refers to one hundredth of a gradian, an angular unit.
Did Anders Celsius invent the modern scale used today?
Not quite. Celsius's original 1742 proposal actually had the scale reversed, with 0 as the boiling point of water and 100 as the freezing point. Other scientists flipped it to the familiar arrangement, 0 at freezing and 100 at boiling, within a few years of his death.
Is centigrade still used today?
The word still appears informally and in some non-English languages, but Celsius is the correct, current name in scientific and international standards contexts. Both describe the exact same scale.
Does 0 degrees centigrade equal 0 degrees Celsius?
Yes, exactly. Since the two are the same scale under different names, every value matches with no adjustment needed.
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