decentralize

English

Alternative forms

• decentralise (UK)

Etymology

de- +‎ centralize

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /diːˈsɛntɹəlaɪz/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Verb

decentralize (third-person singular simple present decentralizes, present participle decentralizing, simple past and past participle decentralized)

1. To cause something to change from being concentrated at one point to being distributed across a number of points.
2. To reduce the authority of a governing body by distributing that authority among several bodies.
3. (US) In police terminology, to bring a suspect to the ground by use of directed force; a tackle.

Antonyms

• recentralize

Related terms

• decentralization

Translations

cause to change from being concentrated

• Catalan: descentralitzar (ca)
• Czech: decentralizovat
• Dutch: decentraliseren (nl)
• Finnish: hajasijoittaa (fi), hajauttaa (fi)
• French: décentraliser (fr)
• Galician: descentralizar
• German: dezentralisieren (de), entflechten (de), verteilen (de), zerstreuen (de)
• Italian: decentralizzare (it)
• Macedonian: децентрализира (decentralizira)
• Northern Sami: desentraliseret
• Occitan: descentralizar
• Portuguese: descentralizar (pt)
• Russian: децентрализовать (ru) (decentralizovatʹ)
• Spanish: descentralizar (es)
• Swedish: decentralisera (sv)

reduce the authority of a governing body

• Catalan: descentralitzar (ca)
• Czech: decentralizovat
• Dutch: decentraliseren (nl)
• Finnish: hajasijoittaa (fi), hajauttaa (fi)
• French: décentraliser (fr)
• Galician: descentralizar
• German: dezentralisieren (de)
• Italian: decentralizzare (it)
• Macedonian: децентрализира (decentralizira)
• Northern Sami: desentraliseret
• Occitan: descentralizar
• Portuguese: descentralizar (pt)
• Russian: децентрализовать (ru) (decentralizovatʹ)
• Spanish: descentralizar (es)
• Swedish: decentralisera (sv)