Centric

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈsɛntɹɪk/

Definitions

1. Having a central focus that influences perspectives or actions in a given context
2. Concerning or denoting a focus centered around a specific idea or entity in relation to its surroundings or significance in a broader context
3. Having a primary focus or orientation centered on a particular point or concept

Etymology: The Greek root behind this word is "kentron," meaning a sharp point, such as the point of a compass or a goad used to prod oxen. Greek geometers and astronomers later extended it to mean the centre of a circle, and "kentrikos" took on the sense of relating to that centre. The adjective is built from "centre" and the suffix "-ic," which turns a noun into a word meaning "of or relating to" it. The modern sense of "centric" as having a primary focus or orientation is a figurative extension. A thing that is centric is organised around one core point, so a city-centric policy puts one place at the heart of everything else. The word thus moved from a literal point of geometry to a way of describing where attention and priorities are gathered.

Synonyms: central, focal, core, middle, main

Antonyms: peripheral, marginal, outer, secondary, subordinate