polycentric

American  

[pol-ee-sen-trik] / ˌpɒl iˈsɛn trɪk /

adjective

1. having many centers, especially of power or importance.

   the polycentric world of banking.

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Etymology

Origin of polycentric

First recorded in 1885–90; poly- + -centric

Example Sentences

That vast, polycentric mass — long derided by urban experts residing in denser cities — can also be an asset in the years ahead as autonomous mobility becomes ubiquitous.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

Compared to "monocentric" development, "polycentric" spatial patterns better distributethe density of urban cores and curb the sprawl of impervious, heat-absorbing surfaces, according to the analysis of 50 city regions in Germany.

From Science Daily • Feb. 12, 2024

“Most other countries … want to create a polycentric or a multipolar world, with no single center of control, in which no one imposes its visions, interests and values on others,” he said on Saturday.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2022

I think that implies a much more polycentric internet, a much more heterogeneous internet, an internet that mimics the complexity and diversity of our online life, although that has diminished with gentrification.

From The Verge • May 23, 2022

In the early 1970s this tightly knit, although polycentric, group continued to expect and did receive Bulgaria's participation in preserving the status quo in Eastern Europe.

From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Baluyut, Violeta D.