central

1 of 2

adjective

cen·​tral ˈsen-trəl How to pronounce central (audio)
1
: containing or constituting a center
2
: of primary importance : essential, principal
the central character of the novel
3
a
: situated at, in, or near the center
the central part of the state
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 : moderate
6
: of, relating to, or comprising the brain and spinal cord
also : originating within the central nervous system
central deafness
centrally adverb

central

2 of 2

noun

1
: a telephone exchange or operator
2
: a central office or bureau usually controlling others
weather central
3
: a center or hub for a specified activity or group
her house is party central
the family room becomes kid central

Examples of central in a Sentence

Adjective The house has four rooms and a central chimney. City planners are looking for a central location for the new hospital. The evidence was central to the defense's case. The country's schools are financed by both local and central governments. The central authority of the company's board is being challenged. Noun Our family room becomes kid central on weekends. a health club that has become dating central for singles in the area
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Screening to a packed audience at Austin’s Paramount Theater, Civil War was revealed to be a tribute to war journalism that veers away from the politics that led to the central conflict. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Offshore wind is central to both national and state plans to transition to a carbon-free electricity system. Jennifer McDermott, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 The package included a reduction in the time demands placed on athletes — a problem that eventually became central to the National Labor Relations Board’s contention that athletes are employees. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 But even if anger–a propulsive feeling central to human nature–is the motivation for whistleblowing, people like John Barnett are doing it to also benefit the public at extreme personal, financial, and emotional costs. Ariella Steinhorn, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 Another central question that remains is why the enantiornithines, the most diverse group of birds, died out along with the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, while the ornithuromorphs, the direct ancestors of modern birds, survived. Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 The uncertain outcome of the war in Ukraine means that the transatlantic option, namely NATO membership, will remain central to Poland’s foreign policy. Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024 Brightline uses events in Florida, including basketball game packages, to lure new customers, a central piece of the plan for Las Vegas. Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Wind Advisory in effect for the northern and central Sacramento Valley Thursday through Saturday morning. Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Reese's Book Club teamed up with home-decor inspo central Havenly for a collection of perfect items for your favorite space in the house. Hannah Chubb, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 But Fyffe, a town of 963 people in DeKalb County, which abuts the Georgia line and Marjorie Taylor Greene’s district, was weird-sighting central. John Archibald | Jarchibald@al.com, al, 28 July 2023 But some Fed officials have indicated in recent speeches and interviews that they’re not yet convinced that inflation is on a certain path toward the central’s banks 2% target, intensifying the debate over raising rates again or pausing. Bryan Mena, CNN, 23 May 2023 Utah experienced other small earthquakes that weren't felt, including a 2.9-magnitude one south central in Piute County. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 21 June 2023 The dream of reviving this historic dance hall wouldn’t have been realized if not for Frank Acevedo, who grew up poor in L.A.'s Rampart district, yearning for a place where low-income youths could find a community resource center, an education annex and a Latino party central — all rolled into one. Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2022 In 2019, Islamic State central claimed its first attack on behalf of the group, and Baluku appeared in a video reaffirming the previously unpublicized alliance. Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 5 June 2023 Before the Prada store opened catty-corner from Fanelli’s in 2001, kicking off the neighborhood’s transformation into a high-end retail destination, SoHo was quieter and grungier, art-gallery central. Ashley Fetters Maloy, Washington Post, 7 May 2023 First and foremost, there's the human aspect; how will immediate family members like Kendall, Shiv, Roman, Connor, and even Tom react and respond to losing such a central (and, yes, evil) figure in their lives? Evan Romano, Men's Health, 10 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'central.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Latin centrālis, from centrum center entry 1 + -ālis -al entry 1

Noun

derivative of central entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1623, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of central was in 1623

Dictionary Entries Near central

Cite this Entry

“Central.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/central. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

central

adjective
cen·​tral
ˈsen-trəl
1
: containing or being a center
the central office
2
: chief entry 1 sense 2, principal
the central figure in a story
3
: situated at, in, or near the center
the store is in a central location
4
: of, relating to, or consisting of the brain and spinal cord
also : originating within the central nervous system
centrality
sen-ˈtral-ət-ē
noun
centrally
ˈsen-trə-lē
adverb

Medical Definition

central

adjective
cen·​tral ˈsen-trəl How to pronounce central (audio)
1
: of or concerning the centrum of a vertebra
2
a
: of, relating to, or comprising the brain and spinal cord
b
: originating within the central nervous system : caused by factors originating in the central nervous system
central precocious puberty
3
: affecting or involving the trunk of the body and especially the abdomen
central adiposity
centrally adverb

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