Centrality

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /sɛnˈtɹæl.ɪ.ti/

Definitions

1. The condition of being at the center or holding primary importance in a context
2. The quality of occupying a middle position or having a predominant role among related elements
3. The state where something is most essential or focal within a system or area

Etymology: Centrality is a simple formation: English "central" plus the suffix "-ity," which turns an adjective into a noun meaning the quality or state of being that adjective. The adjective itself came into English from Latin "centralis," built on "centrum," a word the Romans borrowed from Greek "kéntron," meaning a sharp point or the pointed end of a stick used to prick cattle. The sense of a middle point grew from the idea of the fixed point around which a compass or circle is drawn. The suffix has a longer trail. "-ity" descends from Latin "-itās," which Old French adopted as "-ité," and Middle English then took in as "-ite," later becoming "-ity." That route explains why so many English nouns ending in "-ity" look Latinate: each one carries the same abstract-quality ending through French.

Synonyms: importance, significance, focal point, nucleus

Antonyms: periphery, insignificance, marginality