decentralize
/ˌdiːˈsɛn.trə.laɪz/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To move power, control, or decision-making away from one central place or person. It often means giving more freedom to local groups, offices, or regions.
- The company plans to decentralize its management.
- The government wants to decentralize education decisions.
- We should decentralize some tasks to local teams.
Adinary Nuance
Decentralize is not the same as simply spread out. It specifically means moving control away from one center. Compared with distribute, it focuses on power or decision-making, not just sharing things. Compared with delegate, it suggests a bigger structural change, not just giving one task to someone.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- phân quyền
- Spanish
- descentralizar
- Chinese
- 去中心化
- Japanese
- 分散化する
- Korean
- 분권화하다
Etymology
Decentralize comes from French décentraliser, built from de- and central. It became common in English in the 19th century, especially in politics and organization.
Common phrases
decentralize powerdecentralize decision-makingdecentralize authoritydecentralize operations
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is decentralize formal or informal?
- It is a fairly formal word. People use it often in business, politics, and academic writing.
- What is the difference between decentralize and delegate?
- Delegate means give a task to someone else. Decentralize means move control or decision-making away from one center.
- Can I use decentralize in business writing?
- Yes. It is common in business writing when discussing management, teams, and operations.
- What is the opposite of decentralize?
- The opposite is centralize. That means to bring control or decisions into one central place.