central

¹

[ sen-truhl ]

adjective

1. of or forming the center:

   the central hut in the village.

2. in, at, or near the center:

   a central position.

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

   a central office.

4. principal; chief; dominant:

   the play's central character.

   Synonyms: primary, leading, key, main, major

5. Anatomy, Zoology.
   1. of or relating to the central nervous system.
   2. of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra.
6. 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.
7. Physics. (of a force) directed to or from a fixed point.

noun

1. (formerly)
   1. a main telephone exchange.
   2. a telephone operator at such an exchange.

central

²

[ sen-trahl; Spanish sen-trahl ]

noun

, plural cen·trals, Spanish cen·tra·les [sen-, trah, -les].

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

Central

³

[ sen-truhl ]

noun

1. a region in central Scotland. 1,016 sq. mi. (2,631 sq. km).

central

/ ˈsɛntrəl /

adjective

1. in, at, of, from, containing, or forming the centre of something

   the central material of a golf ball

   the central street in a city

2. main, principal, or chief; most important

   the central cause of a problem

3. 1. of or relating to the central nervous system
   2. of or relating to the centrum of a vertebra
4. 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
5. (of a force) directed from or towards a point
6. informal.
   immediately postpositive used to describe a place where a specified thing, quality, etc is to be found in abundance

   nostalgia central

Derived Forms

• ˈcentrally, adverb

Other Words From

• central·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of central¹

First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin centrālis, “centrally located,” equivalent to centr(um) center + -ālis -al ¹

Origin of central²

First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin American Spanish, special use of Spanish central central ¹

Example Sentences

"Such a central place makes the process more efficient," says De Luca.

From Science Daily

The slender-billed curlew once traveled a vast range, migrating across Central Asia and the northwestern African coast.

From Science Magazine

Instead, there seemed to be a higher concentration in the province of Ogliastra, a central mountainous region.

From Science Magazine

That can help their control of midfield - and of central defence.

From BBC

An alternative would be to sign a new right-back, as Emery reportedly attempted in the summer, which would allow Ezri Konsa to move permanently back into central defence in place of Diego Carlos.

From BBC

Related Words

• basic
• essential
• fundamental
• important
• key
• paramount
• pivotal
• significant