adjective
decentralized
dee-SEN-truh-lyzd
Decentralized (adjective) means Organised so that control, decision-making or data is spread across many independent points rather than held by one central authority. Example: “Bitcoin runs on a decentralized network with no bank or government in charge.”
adjective
1
Organised so that control, decision-making or data is spread across many independent points rather than held by one central authority.
"Bitcoin runs on a decentralized network with no bank or government in charge."
"The company moved to a decentralized structure, giving each regional office its own budget."
verb
1
Past tense and past participle of decentralize: to move power, functions or resources away from a central body to smaller local ones.
"Health services were decentralized to the county councils in the 1990s."
How to use decentralized
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRun by lots of separate parts instead of one boss in the middle.
When to use it
Neutral; heavily used in technology, finance, politics and management.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
decentralized network
decentralized finance
decentralized governance
fully decentralized
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Bitcoin runs on a _____ network with no bank or government in charge.
Etymology
Formed from de- ('reverse, remove') plus centralize, itself from central.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for decentralized
sized
prized
baptized
utilized
notarized
polarized
civilized
idealized
organized
oversized
localized
motorized
See all rhymes for decentralized →
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between decentralized and distributed?
A distributed system simply runs on many machines, which may still answer to one owner — a cloud service is distributed but not decentralized. A decentralized system also spreads authority, so no single party can control or shut it down.
Is it spelt decentralized or decentralised?
Both are correct. -ized is standard in American English and also accepted in British English (Oxford style); -ised is the more usual British newspaper spelling. Pick one and use it consistently.
What does decentralized mean in crypto?
It means the ledger is kept and verified by many independent computers rather than by a bank or company, so no single operator can alter balances or block a transaction on their own.
What is the meaning of decentralized?
"decentralized" (adjective) means organised so that control, decision-making or data is spread across many independent points rather than held by one central authority.
