central

[ sen-truhl ]

/ ˈsɛn trəl /

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See synonyms for central on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or forming the center: the central hut in the village.

in, at, or near the center: a central position.

constituting something from which other related things proceed or upon which they depend: a central office.

principal; chief; dominant: the play's central character.

Anatomy, Zoology.

of or relating to the central nervous system.
of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra.

Phonetics. (of a speech sound) produced with the tongue articulating neither expressly forward nor in the back part of the mouth, as any of the sounds of lull.

Physics. (of a force) directed to or from a fixed point.

noun

(formerly)

a main telephone exchange.
a telephone operator at such an exchange.

OTHER WORDS FOR central

4 major, main, key, leading, primary.

See synonyms for central on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of central

1640–50; <Latin centrālis, equivalent to centr(um) center + -ālis-al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM central

cen·tral·ly, adverb

Words nearby central

centner, cento, centr-, centra, centrad, central, Central African, Central African Federation, Central African Republic, Central America, Central American

Other definitions for central (2 of 3)

central²

[ sen-trahl; Spanish sen-trahl ]

/ sɛnˈtrɑl; Spanish sɛnˈtrɑl /

noun, plural cen·trals, Spanish cen·tra·les

[sen-trah-les]. /sɛnˈtrɑ lɛs/.

(in Spanish America and the Philippines) a mill for crushing cane into raw sugar.

Origin of central

First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin American Spanish, special use of Spanish central central¹

Other definitions for central (3 of 3)

Central

[ sen-truhl ]

/ ˈsɛn trəl /

noun

a region in central Scotland. 1,016 sq. mi. (2,631 sq. km).

How to use central in a sentence

Their bid is undermined a bit by the strength of their opponents in the Central, which will be entirely self-contained for the first two rounds of the postseason.
The Florida Panthers Haven’t Made A Real Playoff Run In Decades. That Could Change This Year.|Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com)|February 26, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
The school will be built on the campus of a university in Fianarantsoa, a city in the south central area of the island nation.
The World’s First 3D Printed School Will Be Built in Madagascar|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|February 26, 2021|Singularity Hub
Those companies have been major beneficiaries of Fed policy to keep interest rates low, and rising expectations for economic growth and inflation could force the central bank to reduce some of its support.
The Fed is on a collision course with the $20 trillion Treasury market|John Detrixhe|February 26, 2021|Quartz
The endless rephrasings of his central argument begin to feel like grasps toward a center that — by Kearney’s own devices — will not hold.
Exploring the sense of touch, and why we hunger for contact|Sophie Dess|February 26, 2021|Washington Post

Losing conviction is a central theme of “Little Oblivions,” a dozen tracks that are louder and fuller in sound than her previous work, and that she says reflect her restructured priorities.
Julien Baker questioned her faith. Music helped her embrace the uncertainty.|Sonia Rao|February 26, 2021|Washington Post
Offending the other ones has been a central strategy for Paul over the last year.
Rand Paul’s Passive-Aggressive Trolling Campaign|Olivia Nuzzi|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
President Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division to force Faubus to admit the students to Central High School.
The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future|Jonah Edelman|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
While the world fixated on Ukraine and Syria, a near-genocide ripped through central Africa, to little international fanfare.
The Year’s Most Forgotten Humanitarian Crisis|Nina Strochlic|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It drains your body of nutrients and vitamins, attacking the central nervous system and leaving you in a dehydrated, hazy state.
History's Craziest Hangover Cures|Justin Jones|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At Grand Central Station, demonstrators held a die-in, Gothamist reported.
Trayvon Martin’s Family Rejects ‘Dead Cops’ Marchers|Jacob Siegel|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most of my observations are in keeping with Skutch's detailed report of the species in Central America.
Summer Birds From the Yucatan Peninsula|Erwin E. Klaas
The main entrance is in the centre of the St. Martin's Lane front, and consists of a central roadway for carts and wagons, 15ft.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
It is not quite so level nor so perfectly cultivated as central Belgium, but is generally fertile and promises fairly.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
But the central economic doctrine of cost can not be shaken by mere denunciation.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
She opened a door at the back of the central hall and found herself in a pillared corridor with a door at either end.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for central

central

/ (ˈsɛntrəl) /

adjective

in, at, of, from, containing, or forming the centre of somethingthe central street in a city; the central material of a golf ball

main, principal, or chief; most importantthe central cause of a problem

of or relating to the central nervous system
of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra

of, relating to, or denoting a vowel articulated with the tongue held in an intermediate position halfway between the positions for back and front vowels, as for the a of English soda

(of a force) directed from or towards a point

informal (immediately postpositive) used to describe a place where a specified thing, quality, etc is to be found in abundancenostalgia central

Derived forms of central

centrally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

central

OTHER WORDS FOR central

Origin of central

OTHER WORDS FROM central

Words nearby central

Other definitions for central (2 of 3)

Origin of central

Other definitions for central (3 of 3)

Words related to central

How to use central in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for central

Derived forms of central