central

adjective

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cen·tral | \ ˈsen-trəl

Definition of central

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : containing or constituting a center

2 : of primary importance : essential, principal the central character of the novel

3a : 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

4a : 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

central

noun

Definition of central (Entry 2 of 2)

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

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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 It was also covered in a thin layer of gold and engraved with a central circle to represent the iris, according to the ancient studies group. — Miriam Fauzia, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2021 Abdul Jalil Anees was born in the mid-Sixties in Sher Toghi, a village three hours from the nearest highway in central Afghanistan’s Wardak province. — Andrew Quilty, Harper's Magazine, 17 Aug. 2021 Their split was a central plot point on Selling Sunset season 3. — Ashley Boucher, PEOPLE.com, 17 Aug. 2021 Causes related to veterans and military families remain central to Prince Harry's work. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, 17 Aug. 2021 In the central business district, or C-1, zone, which includes most of downtown, noise levels of up to 90-100 decibels are permitted. — Arkansas Online, 17 Aug. 2021 Ripe for business or pleasure, the vessel has a huge convertible space at its heart that could be used as either a central saloon or a meeting room for carrying out conferences at sea. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2021 The weather service said parts of east-central Alabama got up to 4 inches of rain from Fred through this morning. — Leigh Morgan, al, 17 Aug. 2021 Even with these contradictions, doctors faithfully stuck by the hypothesis as the central dogma. — Claudia López Lloreda, STAT, 17 Aug. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun With Henry’s ball-carrying central to Tennessee’s offense, the Titans lined up with at least two tight ends on the field 544 times in 2020 – about half of their offensive snaps last season. — Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 16 Aug. 2021 Santa Anna, the Mexican general central to the story, wasn’t so bad. — Rich Lowry, National Review, 20 July 2021 The Pact was the fruit of his own, his central—his necessary—passion. — Cynthia Ozick, The New Yorker, 14 June 2021 The first is an interesting curiosity in recreational number theory, while the second is a universal constant central to many chaotic phenomena in the real world. — Quanta Magazine, 28 May 2021 By Scott Reinhard Now bourgeois central, the West Side used to be the busiest port in the Americas, a clangorous maelstrom of swinging cables and breaking booms, bulging warehouses and stevedores’ bars. — New York Times, 20 May 2021 To attract talent, Mr. Sela moved its headquarters to a spacious loft in Manhattan’s Flatiron District—startup central. — Anne Kadet, WSJ, 4 May 2021 But the legend of Pickett’s brave Virginians marching heroically to their doom has become more entrenched with time—one central to the Lost Cause view of the war. — John Reeves, WSJ, 23 Apr. 2021 Two lawsuits filed so far – one by a corrections officer in New Mexico and one by employees of the Los Angeles Unified School District – make the EUA central to their arguments challenging vaccine mandates. — Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Apr. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'central.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.