1
: containing or constituting a center
3
a
: situated at, in, or near the center
the central part of the state
b
: easily accessible from outlying districts
a central location for the new theater
4
a
: centrally placed and superseding separate scattered units
central heating
b
: controlling or directing local or branch activities
the central committee
5
: holding to a middle between extremes : moderate
6
: of, relating to, or comprising the brain and spinal cord
also
: originating within the central nervous system
central deafness
1
: a telephone exchange or operator
2
: a central office or bureau usually controlling others
weather central
3
: a center or hub for a specified activity or group
her house is party central
the family room becomes kid central
Synonyms
Examples of central in a Sentence
Adjective
The house has four rooms and a central chimney.
City planners are looking for a central location for the new hospital.
The evidence was central to the defense's case.
The country's schools are financed by both local and central governments.
The central authority of the company's board is being challenged.
Noun
Our family room becomes kid central on weekends.
a health club that has become dating central for singles in the area
Recent Examples on the Web
Melissa Noel, Essence, 19 Jan. 2025
In Deir al Balah, a city in central Gaza, cars honked their horns and loud music blared from coffee shops.
—Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025
Neil Irwin, Axios, 4 Jan. 2025
Elyssa was also a central to the Green Hill battalion winning the Wilson County Warrior Games championship last school year.
—Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for central 
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Adjective
This dignity and destiny were central to Garvey’s message, which called for the global empowerment of African descendants.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 19 Jan. 2025
In Deir al Balah, a city in central Gaza, cars honked their horns and loud music blared from coffee shops.
—Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025
Noun
Flashback: Biden has made revitalizing U.S. manufacturing central to his domestic agenda — and his political identity.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 4 Jan. 2025
Elyssa was also a central to the Green Hill battalion winning the Wilson County Warrior Games championship last school year.
—Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for central
Dictionary Entries Near central
Cite this Entry
“Central.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/central. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
central
adjective
cen·tral
ˈsen-trəl 
1
: of or concerning the centrum of a vertebra
2
a
: of, relating to, or comprising the brain and spinal cord
b
: originating within the central nervous system : caused by factors originating in the central nervous system
central precocious puberty
3
: affecting or involving the trunk of the body and especially the abdomen
central adiposity
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