decentralized

American  

[dee-sen-truh-lahyzd] / diˈsɛn trəˌlaɪzd /

especially British, decentralised

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.

3. 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.

4. (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.

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verb

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

Etymology

Origin of decentralized

First recorded in 1830–40; decentralize + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; decentralize ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

“I’m a big believer in decentralized and distributed power. And I think it’s harder to hack 50 election systems than it is to hack one,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

It acts as a decentralized digital ledger where data is shared and maintained across many computers rather than controlled by a single organization.

From Science Daily

Schmid didn’t address the issue of successors to current Chair Jerome Powell or the DOJ’s subpoenas, but noted that part of what has made the U.S. so successful economically has been its decentralized federal system.

From The Wall Street Journal

A thriving university is a rich, decentralized community of people holding diverse views about values, methods and the nature of knowledge.

From The Wall Street Journal

This is also a way to gain exposure to blockchain technology that enables secure, decentralized transactions and underpins the digital-asset ecosystem.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• disperse
• distribute
• scatter