Central — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈsen-trəl/ cen·tral

Meaning & Definition of Central

Central (adjective)

  1. containing or constituting a center
  2. of primary importance, essential, principal
  3. situated at, in, or near the center

Central (noun)

  1. a telephone exchange or operator
  2. a central office or bureau usually controlling others
  3. a center or hub for a specified activity or group

Central (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. coming before all others in importance

    "the central theme of the book"

    similar: arch, big, capital, cardinal, chief, dominant, first, foremost, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one, numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign, supreme
    related: distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior, high-level, senior, top, important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant, incomparable, matchless, unequaled, unparalleled, unsurpassed, celebrated, famed, famous, renowned
    opposite: last, least
    near: inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant, collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary

  2. 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"

    similar: halfway, intermediary, intermediate, medial, median, mediate, medium, mid, middle, midmost
    related: equidistant, inmost, inner, innermost, nearest, betwixt and between, borderline, gray, in-between
    opposite: extreme, farthest, farthermost, furthermost, furthest, outermost, outmost, remotest, utmost
    near: outer, peripheral

  3. 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"

    similar: centrist, middle-of-the-road, moderate
    related: conventional, nonrevolutionary, orthodox, traditional, levelheaded, rational, reasonable, sensible, neutral
    opposite: extremist, radical, revolutionary, revolutionist, ultra
    near: excessive, conservative, reactionary, rightist, leftist, liberal, progressive, fanatic, rabid, subversive, violent, agitating, exciting, fomenting, incendiary, inciting, inflammatory, instigating, provocative, provoking, rabble-rousing, dissenting

Central (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: axis, base, capital, center, core, cynosure, epicenter, eye, focus, ground zero, heart, hub, locus, mecca, navel, nerve center, nexus, nucleus, omphalos, seat, where it's at
    related: headquarters, happy hunting ground, hive, hotbed, hot spot, playground, playland, kernel, nub, pith, deep, thick, essence, quintessence, soul, attraction, lodestone, magnet, polestar

Related Entry: Central cities (noun)

Central cities is a different word from Central. The synonyms below are for central cities, not for central.

  1. as in garden cities, edge cities

    similar: edge cities, garden cities, exurbs, suburbias, suburbs, core cities, downtowns, inner cities, midtowns, urban sprawls, conurbations, boroughs, asphalt jungles, burgs, cities, cosmopolises, megacities, megalopolises, metropolises, municipalities, towns

Related Entry: Central city (noun)

Central city is a different word from Central. The synonyms below are for central city, not for central.

  1. as in garden city, edge city

    similar: edge city, garden city, exurb, suburb, suburbia, core city, downtown, inner city, midtown, urban sprawl, conurbation, borough, asphalt jungle, burg, city, cosmopolis, megacity, megalopolis, metropolis, municipality, town

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Central

The most common words with a similar meaning to Central:

arch, big, capital, cardinal, chief, dominant, first, foremost, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one, numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign, supreme, halfway, intermediary, intermediate, medial, median, mediate, medium, mid, middle

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Central

Words with the opposite meaning of Central:

last, least, extreme, farthest, farthermost, furthermost, furthest, outermost, outmost, remotest, utmost, extremist, radical, revolutionary, revolutionist, ultra

Related Words for Central

distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior, high-level, senior, top, important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant, incomparable, matchless, unequaled, unparalleled, unsurpassed, celebrated, famed, famous, renowned

Near Antonyms of Central

inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant, collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary, outer, peripheral, excessive, conservative, reactionary, rightist, leftist, liberal, progressive, fanatic, rabid, subversive, violent, agitating, exciting, fomenting

Word Forms of Central

Derived words: centrally (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Central

borrowed from Latin centrālis, from centrum center:1 + -ālis -al:1

First known use: 1623

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Central

Words & Phrases Containing Central

Central African, Central American, central angle, central bank, central casting, central city, central limit theorem, central line

Frequently Asked Questions about Central

What does "Central" mean?

"Central" means containing or constituting a center. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: containing or constituting a center. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Central"?

Other words for "Central" include arch, big, capital, cardinal, chief, dominant, first and foremost. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Central" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Central"?

There are 131 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Central". Common alternatives include arch, big, capital, cardinal, chief, dominant, first, foremost, grand and great.

What is the opposite of "Central"?

Antonyms of "Central" include last, least, extreme, farthest, farthermost, furthermost, furthest and outermost. Near antonyms include inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant and minor.

How do you use "Central" in a sentence?

Examples of "Central" in a sentence: "the central theme of the book"; "will hold the conference in the central part of the country in order to encourage delegates from both coasts"; "with all of the attention being paid to the party's right and left wings, the vast central core has been largely ignored".

Is "Central" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Central" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Central" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Central" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Central"?

"Central" is pronounced /ˈsen-trəl/ and divided into syllables as cen·tral.