decentralize

American  

[dee-sen-truh-lahyz] / diˈsɛn trəˌlaɪz /

especially British, decentralise

verb (used with object)

decentralized, decentralizing

1. to distribute the administrative powers or functions of (a central authority) over a less concentrated area.

   to decentralize the national government.

2. to disperse (something) from an area of concentration.

   to decentralize the nation's industry.

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verb (used without object)

decentralized, decentralizing

1. to undergo decentralization.

   The city government is looking for ways to decentralize.

decentralize British  

/ diːˈsɛntrəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to reorganize (a government, industry, etc) into smaller more autonomous units

2. to disperse (a concentration, as of industry or population)

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Other Word Forms

• decentralist noun
• decentralization noun

Etymology

Origin of decentralize

First recorded in 1850–55; de- + centralize

Example Sentences

The entity was billed as a decentralized finance, or DeFi, project that would help match crypto investors eager to borrow and lend from, and trade with, one another.

From The Wall Street Journal

This is among the many risks when you deal with privately held companies in “decentralized finance” that are lightly regulated, if at all.

From MarketWatch

Buffett is a famously hands-off manager, building Berkshire as a decentralized company with just a handful of top executives and largely autonomous subsidiaries.

From The Wall Street Journal

This “invisible” stimulus, unlike Western-style packages, is difficult to quantify and has not significantly moved markets due to its decentralized nature.

From Barron's

As a decentralized system whose channels and stations exist within the communities they serve, public media represents a last bastion of local and regional programming.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• disperse
• distribute
• scatter