Standard Lemma guide

decentralization

noun · 4 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.

  • UK: /diːˌsɛntɹəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 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 process of decentralizing

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The state of being decentralized.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the spread of power away from the center to local branches or governments

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decentralisation

Antonyms: centralization

Broader terms: spread, spreading

4

noun

Meaning 4

the social process in which population and industry moves from urban centers to outlying districts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decentalisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: social process

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h1 Proto-Indo-European *déh1 Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- Proto-Indo-European *ḱent-der. Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron)der. Latin centrum Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin centrālisbor. English central Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English centralize English decentralize Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English decentralization From de- + centralization or decentralize + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: mərkəzsizləşdirmə — process of decentralizing
  • Catalan: descentralització — process of decentralizing
  • Czech: decentralizace — process of decentralizing
  • Danish: decentralisering — process of decentralizing
  • Dutch: decentralisatie — process of decentralizing
  • Dutch: decentralisering — process of decentralizing
  • French: décentralisation — process of decentralizing
  • Galician: descentralización — process of decentralizing
  • Georgian: დეცენტრალიზაცია (decenṭralizacia) — process of decentralizing
  • German: Dezentralisierung — process of decentralizing
  • German: Dezentralisation — process of decentralizing
  • Greek: αποκέντρωση (apokéntrosi) — process of decentralizing
  • Hungarian: decentralizáció — process of decentralizing
  • Indonesian: desentralisasi — process of decentralizing
  • Italian: decentralizzazione — process of decentralizing
  • Italian: decentramento — process of decentralizing
  • Malay: pemencaran — process of decentralizing
  • Malay: pengagihan — process of decentralizing
  • Malay: penyahpusatan — process of decentralizing
  • Norwegian: desentralisering — process of decentralizing
  • Polish: decentralizacja — process of decentralizing
  • Portuguese: descentralização — process of decentralizing
  • Russian: децентрализа́ция (decentralizácija) — process of decentralizing
  • Slovak: decentralizácia — process of decentralizing
  • Spanish: descentralización — process of decentralizing
  • Swedish: decentralisering — process of decentralizing
  • Telugu: వికేంద్రీకరణ (vikēndrīkaraṇa) — process of decentralizing
  • Turkish: ademimerkeziyet — process of decentralizing
  • Turkish: yerinden yönetim — process of decentralizing
  • Ukrainian: децентраліза́ція (decentralizácija) — process of decentralizing