centralise
gb/sˈɛntɹəlɪs/ us/sˈɛntɹəlɪs/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
formal
C1
action
1
bring under central control
To make one central group control something.
Usage pattern:
centralise [something] (under [someone/something])
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse centralise (control from one centre) with concentrate (gather together) and with the noun centre/center.
Synonyms
consolidate (Emphasises combining systems or control into a single unit.)
|
unify (Focuses on making separate parts act as one, not necessarily under a centre.)
Antonyms
decentralise (Distributes control away from a single centre.)
|
delegate (Gives decision-making to lower levels rather than a centre.)
Collocations
centralise power
|centralise authority
|centralise control
|centralise decision-making
|centralise management
|centralise governance
|centralise administration
|centralise policy
|centralise oversight
|centralise functions
Themes
government
|business
|management
|politics
Examples
- The new government moved quickly to centralise power in the capital.
- The company centralised decision-making so regional offices had less independence.
- Attempts to centralise control of the schools met strong local opposition.
Learner examples
- The manager wants to centralise control.
- They centralised the rules for all offices.
Verb
business
B2
action
2
bring into one place
To move things so they are all in one main place.
Usage pattern:
centralise [something] (in/at [place])
Common mistake:
Centralise is often used for systems and services, not just physical objects (e.g., centralise customer support).
Synonyms
concentrate (More general; can mean gather together without implying a centre of control.)
|
bring together (Neutral phrasing without the organisational implication of a 'centre'.)
Antonyms
disperse (Spreads people or activities out across different places.)
|
decentralise (Moves functions away from a central location or body.)
Collocations
centralise operations
|centralise services
|centralise procurement
|centralise staffing
|centralise resources
|centralise production
|centralise distribution
|centralise support
|centralise purchasing
|centralise training
Themes
business
|work
|logistics
|organization
Examples
- The bank centralised its back-office operations to cut costs.
- They plan to centralise customer service in one call centre.
- After the merger, the firm centralised its purchasing team at headquarters.
Learner examples
- The company centralised its services in London.
- They centralised training in one office.
Verb
technical
C1
process
3
store data in one system
To keep all data in one main system.
Usage pattern:
centralise [data/information/records] (in/on [system/platform])
Common mistake:
Learners may use centralise when they mean 'summarise' (different word) or 'synchronise' (different process).
Synonyms
consolidate (Common in IT/business for combining data sources into one system.)
|
standardise (Focuses on making formats consistent, which may accompany centralisation.)
Antonyms
distribute (Stores or processes data across multiple systems or locations.)
|
decentralise (Moves data and control away from a single central system.)
Collocations
centralise data
|centralise information
|centralise records
|centralise reporting
|centralise monitoring
|centralise logging
|centralise a database
|centralise access
|centralise storage
|centralise documentation
Themes
technology
|business
|data_management
Examples
- The charity centralised donor records into a single database.
- We centralised incident reports so patterns were easier to spot.
- The project aims to centralise access to documents across departments.
Learner examples
- They centralised the data in one system.
Verb
B2
action
4
place or align in the middle
To put something in the middle.
Usage pattern:
centralise [text/title/object] (on/in [page/screen/area])
Common mistake:
In many contexts, centre/center (verb) is more common than centralise for alignment (e.g., 'centre the title').
Synonyms
centre (More common verb for positioning or alignment.)
|
align centrally (More explicit and common in software/UI instructions.)
Antonyms
left-align (Aligns text to the left margin instead of the centre.)
|
right-align (Aligns text to the right margin instead of the centre.)
Collocations
centralise the title
|centralise the heading
|centralise text
|centralise a logo
|centralise an image
|centralise a diagram
Themes
writing
|design
|work
Examples
- Centralise the heading at the top of the page.
- The designer centralised the logo to balance the layout.
- You can centralise the text using the alignment options.
Learner examples
- Please centralise the title.
Grammar
Dictionary form
centralise
IPA
GB/sˈɛntɹəlɪs/
US/sˈɛntɹəlɪs/
Syllables & stress
cent - ral - ise (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cent)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: centralise
- 3rd Person Singular: centralises
- Present Participle: centralising
- Past: centralised
Word family
Forms
centralises
verb
centralising
verb
centralised
verb
Core family
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
decentralise
verb C1
decentralisation
noun C1
Advanced or less common
centrality
noun
Expressions
centralise control
1/sˈɛntɹəlɪs kəntɹˈoʊl/
fixed phrase
formal
control from one centre
To have one centre control something.
Examples
- The policy centralised control over hiring decisions.
- The new system centralises control over user permissions.
centralise data
1/sˈɛntɹəlɪs dˈætə/
fixed phrase
technical
put data in one system
To keep all data in one place.
Examples
- The team centralised data to make reporting faster and more reliable.
- Centralising data can improve security if access is managed properly.
centralise decision-making
1/sˈɛntɹəlɪs dɪsˈɪʒən mˈeɪkɪŋ/
fixed phrase
business
make decisions from the centre
To have the head office make decisions.
Examples
- After the takeover, the company centralised decision-making at headquarters.
- Centralising decision-making can speed up approvals but reduce local flexibility.
centralise operations
1/sˈɛntɹəlɪs ˌɑpɚˈeɪʃənz/
fixed phrase
business
run operations from one hub
To move operations to one centre.
Examples
- The retailer centralised operations to improve consistency across stores.
- They centralised operations in Manchester after closing two regional sites.
centralise power
1/sˈɛntɹəlɪs pˈaʊɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
concentrate power in one centre
To make one centre have most power.
Examples
- The reforms were designed to centralise power in the executive branch.
- Critics warned that the new law would centralise power in the capital.
centralise services
1/sˈɛntɹəlɪs sˈɚvɪsɪz/
fixed phrase
business
run services from one location
To move services to one main place.
Examples
- The council centralised services to reduce duplication across offices.
- The hospital network centralised services at the main site.