decentralized

especially British, de·cen·tral·ised

[dee-sen-truh-lahyzd]

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.

verb

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of decentralized¹

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

Example Sentences

To be sure, America’s decentralized data-agency model limits the ability to manipulate data.

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IAG said its decentralized model aligns with the Portuguese government’s intent to protect TAP, adding that it would have significant potential within the group.

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“Even if short-term sentiment softens and new user growth slows, structural trends like rising debt levels, monetary expansion and geopolitical fragmentation continue to favor scarce, decentralized assets,” said Holmes.

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Ether, according to Lee and other advocates, functions as a dynamic digital ecosystem powering smart contracts, decentralized finance, tokenized assets and digital-identity infrastructure.

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And some A16Z investments have become major players in so-called decentralized finance, known as defi, which supporters hope will replace the traditional banking system.

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Related Words

• disperse 
• distribute 
• scatter