central

[sen-truhl] / ˈsɛn trəl /

ADJECTIVE

main, principal; in the middle

Synonyms

STRONGEST

basic essential fundamental important key paramount pivotal significant

STRONG

cardinal center chief dominant interior intermediate leading master mean median middle midway primary prime radical ruling salient umbilical

WEAK

axial centric centroidal equidistant focal foremost inmost inner mid middlemost midmost nuclear omphalic outstanding overriding predominant

Antonyms

STRONGEST

additional auxiliary extra inessential insignificant minor nonessential secondary trivial unimportant unsubstantial

STRONG

exterior extreme inferior outer outside subordinate

WEAK

peripheral

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I received a similar question recently from a reader who had employed a heating engineer to fix their central heating.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

South Korea’s central bank kept its base rate unchanged for a seventh straight meeting ahead of a leadership change.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

It’s nearly 90 degrees on a Saturday in South-Central and “sister dreamer lauren halsey’s architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles” is gleaming and activated.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

"Clearly, autonomous systems now are really central to how contest happens, how war happens," he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Then they turn to shades of pink and magenta, in the central Puget Sound: Bremerton, Seattle, Lynnwood.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

Vocabulary lists containing central

The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2

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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)

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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1

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