Main Entry:

¹cen·tral

Pronunciation:

\ˈsen-trəl\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Latin centralis, from centrum center

Date:

1647

1: containing or constituting a center2: of primary importance : essential, principal <the central character of the novel>3 a: situated at, in, or near the center b: easily accessible from outlying districts <a central location for the new theater>4 a: centrally placed and superseding separate scattered units <central heating> b: controlling or directing local or branch activities <the central committee>5: holding to a middle between extremes : moderate6: of, relating to, or comprising the brain and spinal cord ; also : originating within the central nervous system <central deafness>

— cen·tral·ly \-trə-lē\ adverb