short twentieth century UK /ˈʃɔːt ˌtwɛn.(t)ɪ.əθ ˈsɛn.t͡ʃ(ʊ).ɹi/US /ˈʃoɹt ˌtwɛn.(t)ɪ.əθ ˈsɛn.(t)ʃ(ə).ɹi/ noun1 •Any period of years defined by significant historical events falling within the 20th century (1 January 1901 to 31 December 2000).The problem with ‘short’ twentieth centuries, therefore, is that they say more about the nature of the second half than the first. — 2016 formsshort twentieth centuries