decentralized
Americanadjective
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(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.
-
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.
-
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.
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(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
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
Explanation
When something is controlled or regulated by many separate groups rather than one main group, it's decentralized. Many fast food chains are decentralized, with different franchises, owners, and managers spread across the world. In many ways, the United States is decentralized. Although there is a central, federal government (with a president and congress that govern the entire country), many laws and regulations are decentralized, controlled separately by the individual states. In a decentralized business model, control and leadership are shared by many managers at different locations, instead of having one boss making all the rules.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Decentralized lenders pay users interest for keeping their tokens on the platform, and then lend those assets to others.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
Decentralized infrastructure solutions are available now, such as rooftop solar and energy storage, and distributed energy resources including heat pumps and smart thermostats.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 5, 2025
Decentralized crypto meant that it would be quite hard for one institution’s failure to destroy the currency’s value.
From Slate • Aug. 5, 2024
Decentralized social media site Bluesky rolled out features this week in an attempt to catch up with rivals X and Threads.
From Washington Times • Dec. 27, 2023
Decentralized, non-sequential, non-deterministic experiences require cognitive skills different from those characteristic of literacy.
From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
