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• central
  central

  adjective

  of or forming the center.
• Central
  Central

  noun

  a region in central Scotland. 1,016 sq. mi. (2,631 sq. km).

central

¹ American  

[sen-truhl] / ˈsɛn trəl /

adjective

1. of or forming the center.

   the central hut in the village.

2. in, at, or near the center.

   a central position.

3. constituting something from which other related things proceed or upon which they depend.

   a central office.

4. principal; chief; dominant.

   the play's central character.

   Synonyms:

   primary, leading, key, main, major

5. Anatomy, Zoology.

   1. of or relating to the central nervous system.

   2. of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra.

6. Phonetics. (of a speech sound) produced with the tongue articulating neither expressly forward nor in the back part of the mouth, as any of the sounds of lull.

7. Physics. (of a force) directed to or from a fixed point.

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noun

1. (formerly)

   1. a main telephone exchange.

   2. a telephone operator at such an exchange.

central ² American  

[sen-trahl, sen-trahl] / sɛnˈtrɑl, sɛnˈtrɑl /

noun

centrals, plural centrales plural

1. (in Spanish America and the Philippines) a mill for crushing cane into raw sugar.

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Central ³ American  

[sen-truhl] / ˈsɛn trəl /

noun

1. a region in central Scotland. 1,016 sq. mi. (2,631 sq. km).

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central British  

/ ˈsɛntrəl /

adjective

1. in, at, of, from, containing, or forming the centre of something

   the central street in a city

   the central material of a golf ball

2. main, principal, or chief; most important

   the central cause of a problem

3. 1. of or relating to the central nervous system

   2. of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra

4. of, relating to, or denoting a vowel articulated with the tongue held in an intermediate position halfway between the positions for back and front vowels, as for the a of English soda

5. (of a force) directed from or towards a point

6. informal (immediately postpositive) used to describe a place where a specified thing, quality, etc is to be found in abundance

   nostalgia central

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• centrally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• centrales
  plural
• centrals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of central¹

First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin centrālis, “centrally located,” equivalent to centr(um) center + -ālis -al ¹

Origin of central²

First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin American Spanish, special use of Spanish central central ¹

Explanation

Anything central is in the middle of something — or essential to it. Central things are fundamental and important. Think about the center of a circle: it's right in the middle, equidistant from all sides. Similarly, anything central is in the middle of something. The central part of a city is downtown. You can also say something central is an important, crucial part of something. National security is a central responsibility of the President. Communication is a central goal of writing. Central things are essential and key.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

central Central centrales centrals

Nine of 10 economists polled by The Wall Street Journal expect the central bank to stand pat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Officials say traceback and outbreak data have linked the largest outbreak to lettuce supplied to the affected Taco Bell eateries to a Taylor Farms’ facility, Taylor Farms de Mexico, located in central Mexico.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

In its update on Friday, the CDC warned people not to eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms that sourced from central Mexico.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

She met with AFP away from the exhibition halls at this week's Farnborough International Airshow in the UK, for an interview in Mayfair, central London.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

Farmer feared that PIH would be reduced to a tiny private charity, struggling to support its original project in the central plateau of Haiti.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Any weakness in the readings could ease concerns about prospects of the European Central Bank raising interest rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The focus then switched to a day in the life of the host city, with a dance section featuring the famous Glasgow Central Station clock.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Temperatures are expected to climb another 4 to 6 degrees today except along the Central Coast.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde nevertheless expressed alarm Thursday at the Houthi attack on a Saudi vessel in the Red Sea.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

When we reach Calle Obispo, the street fills with people walking in opposite directions, some to the Parque Central, some to the Malecón and the sea.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Celia imagines the cane she cuts being ground in the centrales, and its thick sap collected in vats.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

At that time the Museum sent out to the Écoles centrales of the different departments of France named collections made up from the duplicates, and in this sort of drudgery Lamarck took an active part.

From Lamarck, the Founder of Evolution His Life and Work by Packard, A. S. (Alpheus Spring)

As at present organized, the force is divided into twenty-six brigades, one for each arrondissement and six companies, known as the reserve, formerly the brigades centrales.

From Paris From the Earliest Period to the Present Day; Volume 2 by Walton, William

Others, known as "colonos," are planters only, the crop being sold to the mills commonly called "centrales."

From Cuba, Old and New by Robinson, Albert G. (Albert Gardner)

The two sulci centrales sive fissuræ Rolandi run straight to the border of the hemisphere, less deeply impressed than is normally the case, without forming an angle with each other.

From The Mind of the Child, Part II The Development of the Intellect, International Education Series Edited By William T. Harris, Volume IX. by Preyer, William T.

Heating to such houses is supplied by large plants known as TETs - an acronym that stands for "heat and electricity centrals" in Ukrainian as they generate electricity as well as heat.

From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026

They claim that a majority of Cuba's 175 "centrals" are now operating at a loss or barely paying expenses.

From Time Magazine Archive

About the centrals was a new and unexpected enthusiasm.

From Time Magazine Archive

Its 15 "centrals" are pals with their customers, keep them in touch with local gossip.

From Time Magazine Archive

“Okay, two of them can go back in. Your centrals, or as you know them, your two front teeth,” Dr. Maris declared, looking pleased.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• basic
• essential
• fundamental
• important
• key
• paramount
• pivotal
• significant