centralize

verb

cen·​tral·​ize ˈsen-trə-ˌlīz 

centralized; centralizing

intransitive verb

: to form a center : cluster around a center

transitive verb

1

: to bring to a center : consolidate

centralize all the data in one file

2

: to concentrate by placing power and authority in a center or central organization

centralized several functions in a single agency

centralization

ˌsen-trə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

centralizer

ˈsen-trə-ˌlī-zər 

noun

Synonyms

• center
• compact
• concenter
• concentrate
• consolidate
• polarize
• unify
• unite

Examples of centralize in a Sentence

All shipping operations have been centralized at the Miami office.

The controversial reforms could be used to further centralize power in the hands of one party.

Recent Examples on the Web

The cuts will help centralize engineering and product teams in fewer locations and accelerate decision-making so the company can prioritize artificial intelligence and safety features, Chief Executive Officer Lidiane Jones said on a call with analysts. —Natalie Lung, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024

Like the human immune system, the global one isn't centralized. —Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2024

Finding The Right Candidate One of the issues a DAO may stumble upon is the current application process, both because it is centralized in nature and because employers are increasingly wanting to hire people based on their skills rather than traditional education. —Dina Mattar, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Putin has centralized power, invaded Georgia and Ukraine, and destroyed the Russian opposition. —Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024

The move appears to be in line with a diminishing of the premier’s power, and that of the government bureaucracy generally, as the Communist Party and leader Xi Jinping centralize control of the nation’s affairs, said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore. —Ken Moritsugu and Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024

As released in an analysis by WIRED magazine, a majority of Louisville's gunshot detection sensors are centralized in the city's West End, including neighborhoods such as Shawnee, Russell and California as well as the city's downtown area. —Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024

Still, this new private data trove may be less visible to remote sensing engineers and scientists than publicly available, if not yet centralized, data and software produced by NASA and other government agencies. —IEEE Spectrum, 20 Feb. 2024

Modi, on the other hand, has centralized power in his office to an astonishing degree, undermined the independence of public institutions such as the judiciary and the media, built a cult of personality around himself, and pursued his party’s ideological goals with ruthless efficiency. —Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

centralize

verb

cen·​tral·​ize ˈsen-trə-ˌlīz 

centralized; centralizing

: to bring to a central point or under a single control

centralization

ˌsen-trə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun