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centralism

American  
[sen-truh-liz-uhm] / ˈsɛn trəˌlɪz əm /

noun

  1. a centralizing system; centralization.


centralism British  
/ ˈsɛntrəˌlɪzəm /

noun

  1. the principle or act of bringing something under central control; centralization

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of centralism

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; central 1 + -ism

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

In a recent opinion article in Time magazine, Torres, the economist, urged Havana to "resist the temptation to leap from bureaucratic centralism to a harsh, socially detached form of capitalism."

From Barron's Jun. 24, 2026

Back then, fear of centralism sprang from populists such as William Jennings Bryan, who hankered for easier credit for farmers.

From Washington Post Jan. 21, 2022

They admire its ruthless centralism, its desire for conquest, its ability to maintain law and order—and its religious tolerance, which allowed Christianity and Islam to coexist.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 6, 2018

It shows a poverty-stricken woman in a hut with her ragged children, being asked by a public opinion pollster: "Are you for dynamic centralism or progress without adventurism?"

From Time Magazine Archive

Following the line of least resistance, as throughout his long reign, he inclined now to federalism, now to centralism, and he was still experimenting when the war of 1866 broke out.

From The War and Democracy by

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