Decentralized

How to spell decentralized

13 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce decentralized

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does decentralized mean?

1. adjectiveOrganised so that control, authority, or function is distributed away from a single central point.

Decentralized in a sentence

• The company runs a decentralized structure where regional managers make their own budget decisions.

• A decentralized network keeps working even when one server fails.

Where does decentralized come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word is built from the Latin centrum, meaning 'the fixed point of a compass' or the middle of a circle, which Latin had in turn borrowed from the Greek kentron, a 'sharp point' or 'goad'. From centrum English developed 'central', and the suffix -ize (from the Greek -izein, 'to make or cause to be') turned it into 'centralize', meaning to bring under one controlling point. The prefix de-, a Latin element meaning 'away from' or 'the reverse of', was then added to express the opposite movement: spreading power, function, or organisation out from a single centre. The full form 'decentralize' emerged in the nineteenth century, often in discussions of government and administration, and gained huge currency in modern technology and finance. The spelling trap is the quiet middle: writers reach for the -ize ending and an obvious double-l or extra vowel, but the stem stays simply 'centraliz', with one of every letter.

How the word is built

• de- (away from, reverse)
• centr (centre, from Latin centrum)
• -al (relating to)
• -ize (make)
• -ed (past/adjective)

British and American spelling

Decentralized is the American spelling. British English spells it decentralised.