WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
cen•tral•i•za•tion
(sen′trə lə zā′shən),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025- the act or fact of centralizing;
fact of being centralized. - Sociologythe concentration of administrative power in a central government, authority, etc.
- Sociology[Chiefly Sociol.]
- a process whereby social groups and institutions become increasingly dependent on a central group or institution.
- concentration of control or power in a few individuals.
- centralize + -ation 1795–1805
cen•tral•ize /ˈsɛntrəˌlaɪz/USA pronunciation
v., -ized, -iz•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- to (cause to) come under one central control, esp. in government: [~ + object]to centralize the power of the military.[no object; often: ~ + in + object]Power tends to centralize in the hands of those who use it.
cen•tral•ize
(sen′trə līz′),USA pronunciation v., -ized, -iz•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
cen′tral•iz′er, n.
v.t.
- to draw to or gather about a center.
- to bring under one control, esp. in government:to centralize budgeting in one agency.
v.i.
- to come together at or to form a center.
- central1 + -ize 1790–1800
'centralization' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):