central

Borrowed from Latin centrālis, from centrum (“centre”), from Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron).

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛntɹəl/

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• Audio

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central (comparative more central, superlative most central)

1. Being in the centre.
   • 1814, William Wordsworth, “The Parsonage”, in The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth, volume V, London: Longman, published 1827, page 340:

     Egyption Thebes; / Tyre by the margin of the sounding waves; / Palmyra, central in the Desert, fell; / And the Arts died by which they had been raised.

   • 2013 July 27, “Putting down roots”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8846:

     The plantoid […] will have a central stem containing a reservoir of liquid plastic of a sort that can be frozen by ultraviolet light. Half a dozen cylindrical roots will branch off this stem, and the plastic will flow through these from the reservoir to the tip. As in a real root, the tip will be a specialised structure.

2. Having or containing the centre of something.
3. Being very important, or key to something.

   Synonyms: dominant, main, principal

   • 2012 September 7, Phil McNulty, “Moldova 0-5 England”, in BBC Sport:

     Cleverley was a central figure as England took the lead inside three minutes. He saw his shot handled by Moldovan defender Simion Bulgaru and Lampard drilled home the penalty in trademark fashion.

4. (anatomy) Exerting its action towards the peripheral organs.

• center

Borrowed from Latin centrālis.

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /sənˈtɾal/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /senˈtɾal/

central (masculine and feminine plural centrals)

1. central (being in the centre)

• centralitat
• centralitzar

• centre

central f (plural centrals)

1. nexus; headquarters (non-military); central office
2. (electricity) power plant

• seu (“seat or headquarters”)

• sucursal (“branch office”)

• “central” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Borrowed from Latin centralis.

central c (singular definite centralen, plural indefinite centraler)

1. headquarters, place whence organizations are administrated

central

1. central, being in the centre

• “central” in Den Danske Ordbog

Borrowed from Latin centrālis. Synchronically analysable as centre +‎ -al.

• IPA^(key): /sɑ̃.tʁal/

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central (feminine singular centrale, masculine plural centraux, feminine plural centrales)

1. central

• périphérique

• chauffage central (“central heating”)

• “central” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

• raclent

Borrowed from Latin centrālis.

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /sẽ.ˈtɾaɫ/
• Hyphenation: cen‧tral

central m or f (plural centrais, comparable)

1. central

central f (plural centrais)

1. centre
2. headquarters

Borrowed from French central, Latin centrālis.

• IPA^(key): [t͡ʃenˈtral]

central m or n (feminine singular centrală, masculine plural centrali, feminine and neuter plural centrale)

1. central, pivotal, nodal

• centru

Borrowed from Latin centrālis.

• (Castilian) IPA^(key): /θenˈtɾal/, [θẽn̪ˈt̪ɾal]
• (Latin America) IPA^(key): /senˈtɾal/, [sẽn̪ˈt̪ɾal]

• Audio (Latin America)

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central (plural centrales)

1. central

• centralmente
• precentral

central f (plural centrales)

1. headquarter
2. center

• centrar
• céntrico
• centro

• “central” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

Borrowed from Latin centrālis, from centrum (“center point”) + -ālis.

• Audio

  (file)

central

1. central, centralized, situated at the centre (of a town)
2. central, important

Clipping of centralstation, or any other compound of the adjective.

central c

1. a central, a centre, a central station, a junction, a connection point, an electrical switchboard

• central in Svenska Akademiens ordlista över svenska språket (13th ed., online)