MEANING
1. Moving or tending away from a centre, especially in a rotating system.
2. Tending to weaken central control or draw parts of a group away from one another.
Use it for
describing outward tendencies in a rotating system; contrasting outward and inward directions; explaining a physical image without confusing it with political decentralizationDescribes forces moving away from a centre and, figuratively, tendencies that weaken central unity or authority. Writing functions: Causation / Relationships, Theory / Conceptual Language.
Words that belong together
- centrifugal force
- centrifugal motion
- a centrifugal pump
On the page
The diagram labels the outward tendency as centrifugal and the inward-directed force as centripetal.
The discussion distinguishes centrifugal effects in a rotating frame from forces described in a non-rotating frame.
The federation’s rules were designed to contain centrifugal pressures without erasing local autonomy.
The historian identifies rival loyalties as centrifugal forces within the governing coalition.
Word forms
- Base
- centrifugal
Usage notes
Adjective, normally not compared in literal technical use. Figurative more centrifugal can compare tendencies; no standard -er/-est forms. Register: technical. Commonness: moderately common in academic writing (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.