centrality

[ sen-tral-i-tee ]

noun

, plural cen·tral·i·ties.

1. a central position or state:

   the centrality of the sun.

2. a vital, critical, or important position:

   the centrality of education to modern civilization.

centrality

/ sɛnˈtrælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or condition of being central

Word History and Origins

Origin of centrality¹

First recorded in 1640–50; central ¹ + -ity

Example Sentences

I would be interested in five or 10 cases in which his centrality was very manifest.

From Slate

When Harris doubts or ridicules his stature, his wealth, the size of his crowds, or whatever, he feels compelled to fight back and restore his eminent centrality at once.

From Slate

"I would further point you in the direction of the centrality of personality politics in both elections in which the overlapping stances that the candidates were taking made their images all the more important. The image of the dapper Kennedy and Nixon the persnickety grump weighed all the more because both were staunch cold warriors and both tacked to relatively moderate proposals on the economy and civil rights."

From Salon

Several factors make downtown the logical location for these projects: its centrality, its transportation corridors and its underutilized properties.

From Los Angeles Times

The crowd was equally enthusiastic about appeals to Harris’ background as a prosecutor as about her plans to protect abortion rights and help young families buy a home, but the centrality of the economic message was impossible to miss.

From Slate

Related Words

• equilibrium
• harmony
• rhythm
• similarity