central¹

[sen-truh l] /ˈsɛn trəl/

adjective

of or forming the center:

the central hut in the village.

in, at, or near the center:

a central position.

constituting something from which other related things proceed or upon which they depend:

a central office.

principal; chief; dominant:

the play's central character.

Anatomy, Zoology.

of or pertaining to the central nervous system.
of or pertaining to the centrum of a vertebra.

Phonetics. (of a speech sound) produced with the tongue articulating neither expressly forward nor in the back part of the mouth, as any of the sounds of lull.

Physics. (of a force) directed to or from a fixed point.

noun

a main telephone exchange.
a telephone operator at such an exchange.

Origin

1640-50; < Latin centrālis, equivalent to centr(um) center + -ālis -al¹

Related forms

centrally, adverb

Synonyms

4. major, main, key, leading, primary.

central²

[sen-trahl; Spanish sen-trahl] /sɛnˈtrɑl; Spanish sɛnˈtrɑl/

noun, plural centrals Spanish, centrales

[sen-trah-les] /sɛnˈtrɑ lɛs/ (Show IPA)

(in Spanish America and the Philippines) a mill for crushing cane into raw sugar.

Origin

< American Spanish, special use of Spanish central central¹

Central

[sen-truh l] /ˈsɛn trəl/

noun

a region in central Scotland. 1016 sq. mi. (2631 sq. km).

Examples from the web for central

Grants for research on spinal-cord injuries and disorders of the central nervous system.
The open, well-lit kitchen is the central gathering spot in this house.
Everyone, be they doctors or central bankers or politicians, makes mistakes.
Each settlement is organized around a central plaza and linked to others via precisely placed roads.
The central figure, incongruously, holds a burning cigarette.
Often you hear central administrators note that the hardest job in the university is that of department head.
Libraries are central to learning, building communities, and promoting research and intellectual exploration.
Many colleges are embracing economic development as a central mission.
Basic flower has single ring of rays surrounding prominent central disk.
Each flower consists of a central brush of stamens surrounded by petallike segments called sepals.

British Dictionary definitions for central

central

/ˈsɛntrəl/

adjective

in, at, of, from, containing, or forming the centre of something: the central street in a city, the central material of a golf ball

main, principal, or chief; most important: the central cause of a problem

of or relating to the central nervous system
of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra

of, relating to, or denoting a vowel articulated with the tongue held in an intermediate position halfway between the positions for back and front vowels, as for the a of English soda

(of a force) directed from or towards a point

(informal) (immediately postpositive) used to describe a place where a specified thing, quality, etc is to be found in abundance: nostalgia central

Derived Forms

centrally, adverb

Word Origin and History for central

adj.

1640s, from French central or directly from Latin centralis "pertaining to a center," from centrum (see center (n.)). Centrally is attested perhaps as early as early 15c., which might imply a usage of central earlier than the attested date.

Slightly older is centric (1580s). As a U.S. colloquial noun for "central telephone exchange," first recorded 1889 (hence, "Hello, Central?"). Central processing unit attested from 1961. Central America is attested from 1826.

Slang definitions & phrases for central

central

noun

The most important site of what is indicated: Israel claims U.S. is Terror Central/ quickly turned the Odessa into Mob Central/ This is a small town, but if it's cocaine central then it's a pretty tough town (1990s+)