centralization

American  

[sen-truh-luh-zey-shuhn] / ˌsɛn trə ləˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or fact of centralizing; fact of being centralized.

2. the concentration of administrative power in a central government, authority, etc.

3. Chiefly Sociology.

   1. a process whereby social groups and institutions become increasingly dependent on a central group or institution.

   2. concentration of control or power in a few individuals.

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Other Word Forms

• anticentralization adjective
• overcentralization noun
• procentralization adjective
• recentralization noun

Etymology

Origin of centralization

First recorded in 1795–1805; centralize + -ation

Example Sentences

Despite benefiting significantly from European integration, he also cautioned against deeper centralization within the European Union, arguing that national policymakers must retain the ability to respond to local conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Previously known as Clear Channel Communications, the company has experienced the dark side of automation and programming centralization.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025

“At the end of the day, it’s centralization, not technology, that affects wealth and equality,” he explained.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2025

Historically, SPS offered this in a cohort model, where HC students are concentrated in a few schools because centralization is cost-effective.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2024

This visible evidence of political centralization that the kofun provide reinforces the accounts of Kofun era Japanese emperors written down much later in Japanese and Korean chronicles.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• unification