noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌsɛntɹəˌlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
Southern-England:BerkshireRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˌsɛntɹələˈzeɪʃən/
Canada:/ˌsɛntɹəˌlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
Australian:/ˌsentɹəˌlɑeˈzæɪʃən/
New-Zealand:/ˌsentɹəlaɪˈzæɪʃən/
New-Zealand:[ˌsentɹəlɑe̯ˈzæɪʃən]
CMU ARPABET:S EH2 N T R AH0 L IH0 Z EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act or process of centralizing, or the state of being centralized; the act or process of combining or reducing several parts into a whole
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract