centralize

American  

[sen-truh-lahyz] / ˈsɛn trəˌlaɪz /

especially British, centralise

verb (used with object)

centralized, centralizing

1. to draw to or gather about a center.

2. to bring under one control, especially in government.

   to centralize budgeting in one agency.

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verb (used without object)

centralized, centralizing

1. to come together at or to form a center.

centralize British  

/ ˈsɛntrəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to draw or move (something) to or towards a centre

2. to bring or come under central control, esp governmental control

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Other Word Forms

• centralization noun
• centralizer noun
• overcentralize verb
• recentralize verb

Etymology

Origin of centralize

First recorded in 1790–1800; central ¹ + -ize

Explanation

To centralize is to join together or concentrate in one main place. Instead of keeping coins and bills stashed all around your room, it might be wise to centralize your savings in your piggy bank. The word centralize is often used by companies, organizations, or governments when they reorganize or streamline their operations by focusing control in one main location or authority. A school district might centralize student records by putting them all in one location instead of keeping them at separate schools. A corporation may centralize its operations by putting all its managers in one main office, or headquarters, shutting down regional locations in order to cut costs.

Example Sentences

The move comes after Disney’s board and newly installed Chief Executive Josh D’Amaro unveiled a more streamlined management structure that sought to centralize its sprawling marketing operations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Now that we have one clear policy, we can update all of our Help pages and try to centralize this a bit more.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

Andy Sriubas, the Social Security Administration’s chief of field operations, told Social Security employees in a Nov. 25 memo that changes would be made to centralize the workload.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 20, 2026

Furthermore, it aims to centralize supervision of market infrastructure, such as central counterparties, which stand between buyers and sellers of financial instruments to mitigate risk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

The plan was accepted at most branches, but some of the more far-flung outposts felt that the plan was an effort by Jo-hannesburg to centralize control over the regions.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• consolidate
• integrate
• rationalize
• streamline
• unify