decentralized

American  

[dee-sen-truh-lahyzd] / diˈsɛn trəˌlaɪzd /

especially British, decentralised

adjective

1. (of a central authority) having much of the decision-making power vested in teams, divisions, or local branches instead of in a single center of power.

   They implemented a decentralized scheme for the business, dividing it into four geographic areas managed by local staff.

   A system of decentralized government empowered communities at the grassroots level and gave them a say in how they were governed.

2. happening or carried out locally and usually independently.

   Decentralized wastewater treatment puts the treatment system at or near the school, industrial site, etc., that generates the wastewater.

3. dispersed from a core area; spread out.

   It is challenging for our state to provide public services and infrastructure to an ever-growing and decentralized population base.

4. (of currency) not controlled or distributed by a government, bank, or other third party, as bitcoin and some other digital currencies.

   While decentralized currencies are hurting in a bearish month, the prospects for state-issued virtual money look even dimmer.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of decentralize.

Etymology

Origin of decentralized

First recorded in 1830–40; decentralize + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; decentralize ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

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