central

1 coming before all others in importance the central theme of the book Synonyms arch, big, capital, cardinal, foremost, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign (also sovran), supremeRelated Words distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior; high-level, senior, top; important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant; incomparable, matchless, unequaled (or unequalled), unparalleled, unsurpassed; celebrated, famed, famous, renownedNear Antonyms inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiaryAntonyms last, least

2 occupying a position equally distant from the ends or extremes will hold the conference in the central part of the country in order to encourage delegates from both coasts Synonyms middle, halfway, intermediary, intermediate, medial, median, mediate, medium, mid, midmostRelated Words equidistant; inmost, inner, innermost, nearest; betwixt and between, borderline, gray (also grey), in-betweenNear Antonyms outer, peripheralAntonyms extreme, farthest, farthermost, furthermost, furthest, outermost, outmost, remotest, utmost

3 avoiding major social change or extreme political ideas with all of the attention being paid to the party's right and left wings, the vast central core has been largely ignored Synonyms moderate, centrist, middle-of-the-roadRelated Words conventional, nonrevolutionary, orthodox, traditional; levelheaded, rational, reasonable, sensible; neutralNear Antonyms excessive; conservative, reactionary, rightist; leftist, liberal, progressive; fanatic (or fanatical), rabid, subversive, violent; agitating, exciting, fomenting, incendiary, inciting, inflammatory, instigating, provocative, provoking; rabble-rousing; dissentingAntonyms extremist, radical, revolutionary, revolutionist, ultra

a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest a health club that has become dating central for singles in the area Synonyms axis, base, capital, center, core, cynosure, epicenter, eye, focus, ground zero, heart, hub, locus, mecca, navel, nerve center, nexus, nucleus, omphalos, seatRelated Words headquarters; happy hunting ground, hive, hotbed, hot spot, playground, playland; kernel, nub, pith; deep, thick; essence, quintessence, soul; attraction, lodestone (also loadstone), magnet, polestar