1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the central theme of the book
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in middle
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in moderate
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in center
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 & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of central
Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The National Development and Reform Commission is a ministerial-level agency of the State Council and functions as a central economic planning and industrial policy body within the Chinese government.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
Humrichous played three seasons of NAIA ball at Huntington University in north-central Indiana before transferring to Division I Evansville and later to Illinois.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for central
Adjective
The interior reconstruction, Spradlin explained, includes removing parts of the second floor to make way for a central atrium and climbing wall — a design that can be seen in aerial images of the building where an open space sits in the middle.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The National Development and Reform Commission is a ministerial-level agency of the State Council and functions as a central economic planning and industrial policy body within the Chinese government.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
The in-flight refueling test itself is a critical capability central to the bomber’s role as a long-range strike platform capable of operating worldwide.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
Humrichous played three seasons of NAIA ball at Huntington University in north-central Indiana before transferring to Division I Evansville and later to Illinois.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for central
Recent Examples of Synonyms for central
Adjective
-
One of the book’s main themes is that trauma and damage, like red hair or skill with animals, can be handed down from one generation to the next.—
Chris Hewitt,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
Two smaller structures rise to six floors each, alongside the 20-story main tower.—
Adam Williams
May 09,
New Atlas,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Much of that discussion is on middle and high school grades, where the effects are most visible, but the real issue begins much earlier.—
Tina Dello Russo,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
Cryst, a 6-foot-10 freshman middle blocker, started off the fourth set with back-to-back service aces.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lamont, a fiscal moderate, has been reluctant to support spending that would exceed the cap on a recurring basis and would prefer legislators pay for extra town aid by finding offsetting cuts elsewhere in the budget.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Kempthorne, a moderate Republican, was elected mayor of Boise in 1985 at age 34, and he was credited with revitalizing the downtown by securing an agreement to build a convention center and promoting other development.—
Gene Johnson,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At that time, around 200 public hospitals, along with federally qualified health centers, were eligible for 340B pricing.—
Dené K. Dryden,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
During the next three weeks, mobile internet was impeded or shut off in the center of Moscow.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Opponents hope to block the map from taking effect before congressional primary elections in August.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
The primary election will be June 30.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The most famous is the 16th-century Rialto Bridge, which sits roughly at the halfway point and is considered a remarkable architectural and engineering achievement of the Renaissance period.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The fifth and final season of Prime Video’s superhero satire series, The Boys, is nearing the halfway point this week.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Crypto apps like Coinbase have begun to diversify into non-crypto assets, and more traditional retail finance apps like Robinhood have begun to dip their toes into areas like tokenized stocks.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
People are in the right conditions, so meetings are more meaningful than in a traditional market where everything is back-to-back.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Boston Fleet and Ottawa Charge had six nights off between Games 1 and 2 of their series, with Game 2 taking place Friday night in Canada’s capital.—
Theodore Tollefson,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
Christopher Cann Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said in a public address that a strike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut killed a high-ranking Hezbollah commander.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Central.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/central. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
