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• centre
  centre

  noun

  center.
• Centre
  Centre

  noun

  the sparsely inhabited central region of Australia

centre

American  

[sen-ter] / ˈsɛn tər /

noun

Chiefly British.

centred, centring

1. center.

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centre ¹ British  

/ ˈsɛntə /

noun

1. geometry

   1. the midpoint of any line or figure, esp the point within a circle or sphere that is equidistant from any point on the circumference or surface

   2. the point within a body through which a specified force may be considered to act, such as the centre of gravity

2. the point, axis, or pivot about which a body rotates

3. a point, area, or part that is approximately in the middle of a larger area or volume

4. a place at which some specified activity is concentrated

   a shopping centre

5. a person or thing that is a focus of interest

6. a place of activity or influence

   a centre of power

7. a person, group, policy, or thing in the middle

8. (usually capital) politics

   1. a political party or group favouring moderation, esp the moderate members of a legislative assembly

   2. ( as modifier )

      a Centre-Left alliance

9. physiol any part of the central nervous system that regulates a specific function

   respiratory centre

10. a bar with a conical point upon which a workpiece or part may be turned or ground

11. a punch mark or small conical hole in a part to be drilled, which enables the point of the drill to be located accurately

12. sport

    1. a player who plays in the middle of the forward line

    2. the act or an instance of passing the ball from a wing to the middle of the field, court, etc

13. basketball

    1. the position of a player who jumps for the ball at the start of play

    2. the player in this position

14. archery

    1. the ring around the bull's eye

    2. a shot that hits this ring

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verb

1. to move towards, mark, put, or be at a centre

2. (tr) to focus or bring together

   to centre one's thoughts

3. to have as a main point of view or theme

   the novel centred on crime

4. (tr) to adjust or locate (a workpiece or part) using a centre

5. (intr; foll by on or round) to have as a centre

6. (tr) sport to pass (the ball) into the middle of the field or court

Centre ² British  

noun

1. the sparsely inhabited central region of Australia

2. a region of central France: generally low-lying; drained chiefly by the Rivers Loire, Loir, and Cher

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Etymology

Origin of centre

C14: from Latin centrum the stationary point of a compass, from Greek kentron needle, from kentein to prick

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

centre Centre centred centring

Horse centre manger Vicki Alford adds: "It all adds up. We are finding, unfortunately, that people are contacting us because they can't financially look after their horses anymore."

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

It used images of the iconic 10 Downing Street front door, listed at its address - with a description referring to the one bedroom space as "a prime city centre location".

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Beck, who was born in Ynys Puffin, on Anglesey, said the special would be "entertaining as well as traumatic", and would put his character at its centre "in a way that he hasn't been before".

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

The largely rural state has been a chemical industry centre since East German times, but many highly polluting and outdated factories were dismantled in the years after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

They could then have continued to claim that the earth stands still at the centre of the universe.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

"We are in a new era here, similar to 70-odd years ago," said Frank Nerling, a Jefferson Lab collaborator from Germany's GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research and Goethe University Frankfurt.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

The Centre for Economic Policy Research study found a 90-basis-point rise in borrowing costs with the loss of reserve currency status.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Since then, the mother-of-four has been detained in the 10th Ramadan Rehabilitation Centre, which Egyptian authorities have confirmed to the FCDO.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

The group belong to the Sanatan Mandir and Community Centre in Coulsdon.

From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026

“Not in mine, not in yours. Not at the Aphroditseum; not at the Centre or the College. Where can he have got to?”

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Parma chief of police Andrea Pagliaro told AFP the investigation centred around a gang of nine Moldavian suspects.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Speaking in Berlin on the same day, Environment Minister Carsten Schneider of junior coalition partner the centre-left SPD offered a radically different vision, centred on restoring rivers.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Much of the debate about the state of England's waters has centred on water companies and the sewage they release into rivers.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

As this has been centred across mainland Europe, southern areas of England and Wales have been impacted more by the dry weather.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Arthur detached his own footmen, under Merlyn, to deal with the infantry battle which was centred round the camp, and he himself pressed on with his cavalry against the kings themselves.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Gates's core explanation for his association with Epstein has been that the relationship was transactional, centring on discussions about philanthropy and potential funding for his foundation that ultimately came to nothing.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

But three former senior Barclays executives were acquitted after they became the first bankers to face a jury around criminal allegations centring on the 2008 crisis.

From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2024

Before launching into the song Betty she hinted that Welsh folklore was part of the inspiration for the LP's creation, centring as it does around a "woman wandering through nature".

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2024

Ovechkin went to the net where he neatly deflected a hard centring pass from Max Pacioretty into the top corner.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2024

By centring all discussion toward this motive, unnecessary digressions will be avoided.

From Special Method in the Reading of Complete English Classics In the Grades of the Common School by Charles A. (Charles Alexander) McMurry