nerve center

noun

1

: center sense 2c

2

: a source of leadership, organization, control, or energy

the financial nerve center of the nation

Synonyms of nerve center

• center
• capital
• hub
• mecca
• nucleus
• focus
• ground zero
• core
• heart
• seat
• base

Examples of nerve center in a Sentence

the economic nerve center of a nation

Wall Street's undisputed status as the nerve center for the world of high finance.

Recent Examples on the Web

Davis came of age at a time when the political nerve center of Broward was the creaky old county courthouse on the banks of the New River. — Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

This is Rio’s Integrated Command and Control Center, or CICC, the state security forces’ technological nerve center. — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Aug. 2026

Within the next year, EAV could be back near full strength as one of Atlanta’s most interesting nerve centers for food and drink. — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026

This allowed traders to finance enormous commodity flows with limited equity, creating the foundations for a new model of global trading and helping establish Geneva as the operational nerve center of the industry. — Lysanne Currie, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nerve center

• epicenter
• multicenter
• centre
• enter
• renter
• stentor
• dissenter
• frequenter
• indenter
• inventor
• precentor
• preventer

Kids Definition

nerve center

noun

: center entry 1 sense 2c

Medical Definition

nerve center

noun

: center