- 1[countable] the middle point or part of something the center of a circle a long table in the center of the room chocolates with soft centers building
- 2[countable] a building or place used for a particular purpose or activity a shopping/sports/community center a recreation/rec center the center for International Studies
- 3[countable] a place or an area where a lot of people live; a place where a lot of business or cultural activity takes place major urban/industrial centers a center of population Small towns in Guatemala serve as economic and cultural centers for the surrounding villages.
- 4[countable] = downtown in the town/city center the center of town a town-center parking lot of excellence
- 5[countable] center of excellence a place where a particular kind of work is done extremely well Memphis could become a regional center of excellence for nurse training. of attention
- 6[countable, usually singular] the point toward which people direct their attention Children like to be the center of attention. The vice president is at the center of a political scandal over leaked documents. see center stage -centered
- 7(in adjectives) having the thing mentioned as the most important feature or center of attention a child-centered approach to teaching see centered, self-centered
- 8the center [singular] a moderate (= middle) political position or party, between the extremes of left-wing and right-wing parties Are her views to the left or right of center? in sports
- 9[countable] (in some team sports) a player or position in the middle of the field, court, etc. Idioms
middle
in or into the most important position The issue has moved front and center in his presidential campaign.
Check pronunciation: center