central
adjective
of or forming the center.
central
1 American
[sen-truhl]
/ ˈsɛn trəl /
adjective
-
of or forming the center.
the central hut in the village.
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in, at, or near the center.
a central position.
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constituting something from which other related things proceed or upon which they depend.
a central office.
-
the play's central character.
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Anatomy, Zoology.
-
of or relating to the central nervous system.
-
of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra.
-
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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.
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Physics. (of a force) directed to or from a fixed point.
noun
central
2
American
[sen-trahl, sen-trahl]
/ sɛnˈtrɑl, sɛnˈtrɑl /
noun
centrals,
plural
centrales
plural
Central
3
American
[sen-truhl]
/ ˈsɛn trəl /
noun
central
British
/ ˈsɛntrəl /
adjective
-
in, at, of, from, containing, or forming the centre of something
the central street in a city
the central material of a golf ball
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main, principal, or chief; most important
the central cause of a problem
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-
of or relating to the central nervous system
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of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra
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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
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(of a force) directed from or towards a point
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informal (immediately postpositive) used to describe a place where a specified thing, quality, etc is to be found in abundance
nostalgia central
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of central1
First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin centrālis, “centrally located,” equivalent to centr(um) center + -ālis -al 1
Origin of central2
First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin American Spanish, special use of Spanish central central 1
Explanation
Anything central is in the middle of something — or essential to it. Central things are fundamental and important. Think about the center of a circle: it's right in the middle, equidistant from all sides. Similarly, anything central is in the middle of something. The central part of a city is downtown. You can also say something central is an important, crucial part of something. National security is a central responsibility of the President. Communication is a central goal of writing. Central things are essential and key.
Vocabulary lists containing central
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bolter declined to divulge more about his conversation with the FBI, which has not been previously reported, but allegations from Bolter’s 2020 affidavit were central to some conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
Former Fed Chair Jerome Powell in April said he was “never the world’s biggest fan of the dot plot,” during his final press conference at the helm of the central bank.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026
Gov. Shin Hyun-song ’s remarks will likely reinforce market expectations that the central bank will resume tightening as soon as next month.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
Gavle University in central Sweden staged a power cut in the middle of a speech there by the higher education minister to demonstrate how its bidirectional chargers worked.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
Mary lived at their second residence, a farmhouse in Turtle Bay, a rural area only about three miles from the central part of the city.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
