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• central
  central

  adjective

  of or forming the center.
• Central
  Central

  noun

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

central

¹ American  

[sen-truhl] / ˈsɛn trəl /

adjective

1. of or forming the center.

   the central hut in the village.

2. in, at, or near the center.

   a central position.

3. constituting something from which other related things proceed or upon which they depend.

   a central office.

4. principal; chief; dominant.

   the play's central character.

   Synonyms:

   primary, leading, key, main, major

5. Anatomy, Zoology.

   1. of or relating to the central nervous system.

   2. of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra.

6. 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.

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

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noun

1. (formerly)

   1. a main telephone exchange.

   2. a telephone operator at such an exchange.

central ² American  

[sen-trahl, sen-trahl] / sɛnˈtrɑl, sɛnˈtrɑl /

noun

• centrals,
  plural
• centrales
  plural

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

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Central ³ American  

[sen-truhl] / ˈsɛn trəl /

noun

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

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central British  

/ ˈsɛntrəl /

adjective

1. in, at, of, from, containing, or forming the centre of something

   the central street in a city

   the central material of a golf ball

2. main, principal, or chief; most important

   the central cause of a problem

3. 1. of or relating to the central nervous system

   2. of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra

4. 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

5. (of a force) directed from or towards a point

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

   nostalgia central

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• centrally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• centrales
  plural
• centrals
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

central Central centrales centrals

One of the most central myths in online testosterone research is that the more is always better, without qualification.

From Slate ● Sep. 13, 2026

When this happens, they position themselves based on their team-mate on the wing - with one out wide and one more central.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

In recent weeks, however, several Fed policymakers -- including Warsh himself -- have hinted that if inflation does not show clear signs of slowing, the central bank will have to act by raising interest rates.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

In conversations with European leaders he’d known as a central banker, Carney was workshopping proposals to deepen ties that were far ahead of most European officials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

But after a tour they took together of prisons in Siberia—the vast region of central and eastern Russia stretching from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean—Goldfarb had a better understanding of Farmer and MDR.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Central defenders then face a difficult decision over whether or not to follow them.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Brandt's myotis can survive for half a century, while the black Myotis, Myotis nigricans, of South and Central America, lives only about seven years.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

The supply at the eateries was traced back to a Taylor Farms facility in Central Mexico.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026

Senhor José is a middle-aged clerk who works at the Central Registry of Births, Marriages and Deaths in an unidentified city.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

On Tuesday nights, when international Bible studies of the University of Central Oklahoma could meet, my sister and I sat in the corners of dark church buildings.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Celia imagines the cane she cuts being ground in the centrales, and its thick sap collected in vats.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Others, known as "colonos," are planters only, the crop being sold to the mills commonly called "centrales."

From Cuba, Old and New by Albert G. (Albert Gardner) Robinson

The two sulci centrales sive fissuræ Rolandi run straight to the border of the hemisphere, less deeply impressed than is normally the case, without forming an angle with each other.

From The Mind of the Child, Part II The Development of the Intellect, International Education Series Edited By William T. Harris, Volume IX. by William T. Preyer

At that time the Museum sent out to the Écoles centrales of the different departments of France named collections made up from the duplicates, and in this sort of drudgery Lamarck took an active part.

From Lamarck, the Founder of Evolution His Life and Work by A. S. (Alpheus Spring) Packard

As at present organized, the force is divided into twenty-six brigades, one for each arrondissement and six companies, known as the reserve, formerly the brigades centrales.

From Paris From the Earliest Period to the Present Day; Volume 2 by William Walton

Heating to such houses is supplied by large plants known as TETs - an acronym that stands for "heat and electricity centrals" in Ukrainian as they generate electricity as well as heat.

From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026

At the base of the pyramid is a membership of 2,889,550 represented by 29,574 local unions, 804 city centrals, 49 State branches, 4 departments.

From Time Magazine Archive

About the centrals was a new and unexpected enthusiasm.

From Time Magazine Archive

They claim that a majority of Cuba's 175 "centrals" are now operating at a loss or barely paying expenses.

From Time Magazine Archive

“Okay, two of them can go back in. Your centrals, or as you know them, your two front teeth,” Dr. Maris declared, looking pleased.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• basic
• essential
• fundamental
• important
• key
• paramount
• pivotal
• significant