decenter

American  

[dee-sen-ter] / diˈsɛn tər /

especially British, decentre

verb (used with object)

1. to put out of the center or make eccentric.

   The goal is to decenter the treatment zone of the eye to align with the line of sight instead of the geometric center of the cornea.

2. to remove from a position of priority or dominance so as to give attention and influence to other viewpoints, concerns, etc..

   The new version of the test will force high schools to teach history from a perspective that decenters whiteness.

   The author’s call to decenter the self, to make empathetic leaps toward the other, is unsentimental yet moving.

3. Astronomy. to cause (an orbit) to follow a path in which the body being orbited is not at the center.

   A decentered orbit is temporary—all orbits around a single body become elliptical and centered in due time.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to shift one’s attention from one’s usual focus or preoccupation.

   As therapists we must decenter from our own perspective and experience the client through their own way of being in the world.

Etymology

Origin of decenter

First recorded in 1885–90; de- ( def. ) + center ( def. )

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

decenter

One thing that’s stood out to me is the way Pappas seems to actually decenter himself in these settings, which you don’t need me to tell you is unusual for a politician.

From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026

Once parenthood begins, societal expectations often decenter a mother.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Aiming to decenter visual representations in data analysis, Zong and Hajas, who lost his sight at age 16, began co-designing Umwelt more than a year ago.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 27, 2024

How can we start to decenter trauma and address it?

From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2022

"Oh, I say! wouldn't it be decenter to manage the thing ourselves, without letting anybody who doesn't know him meddle in it?"

From Camp and Trail A Story of the Maine Woods by Isabel Hornibrook

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---