1. To distribute authority, control or functions away from a single central body or point.
2. To disperse activities, facilities or people from a concentrated location.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- decentralize authority
- decentralized administration
On the page
The reform decentralized authority while retaining common reporting requirements.
The organization decentralized administration but kept strategic decisions at the center.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- decentralize
- Past tense
- decentralized
- Past participle
- decentralized
- Present participle
- decentralizing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- decentralize
- Present continuous
- am/is/are decentralizing
- Present perfect
- have/has decentralized
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been decentralizing
- Past
- decentralized
- Past continuous
- was/were decentralizing
- Past perfect
- had decentralized
- Past perfect continuous
- had been decentralizing
- Future
- will decentralize
- Future continuous
- will be decentralizing
- Future perfect
- will have decentralized
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been decentralizing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: decentralize; decentralizes; decentralized; decentralized; decentralizing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: definition, institutional analysis, scope assessment, comparison. Disciplines: academic writing, institutional analysis, conceptual explanation. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: decentralizes.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.