decentralized

[ dee-sen-truh-lahyzd ]
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adjective
  1. (of a central authority) having much of the decision-making power vested in teams, divisions, or local branches instead of in a single center of power: They implemented a decentralized scheme for the business, dividing it into four geographic areas managed by local staff.A system of decentralized government empowered communities at the grassroots level and gave them a say in how they were governed.

  2. happening or carried out locally and usually independently: Decentralized wastewater treatment puts the treatment system at or near the school, industrial site, etc., that generates the wastewater.

  1. dispersed from a core area; spread out: It is challenging for our state to provide public services and infrastructure to an ever-growing and decentralized population base.

  2. (of currency) not controlled or distributed by a government, bank, or other third party, as bitcoin and some other digital currencies: While decentralized currencies are hurting in a bearish month, the prospects for state-issued virtual money look even dimmer.

verb
  1. the simple past tense and past participle of decentralize.

Origin of decentralized

1
First recorded in 1830–40; decentralize + -ed2 for the adjective senses; decentralize + -ed1 for the verb sense
  • Also especially British, de·cen·tral·ised .

Words Nearby decentralized

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use decentralized in a sentence