decentralism
|de-cent-ral-ism|
🇺🇸
/diːˈsɛntrəlɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/diːˈsentrəlɪzəm/
distribute power away from the center
Etymology
'decentralism' originates from modern English, specifically formed from the verb 'decentralize' plus the suffix '-ism', where the prefix 'de-' comes from Latin 'de-' meaning 'away from', 'central' derives from Late Latin 'centralis' meaning 'of a center', and the suffix '-ism' comes via Greek '-ismos' meaning 'practice or ideology'.
'decentralism' was formed in modern English by back-formation from 'decentralize' (verb); 'central' entered English via Old French and Late Latin 'centralis', and the modern noun 'decentralism' emerged to name the ideology or practice of decentralizing.
Initially components referred simply to 'away from the center' (literal sense), but over time the combined term came to denote the specific political or organizational ideology/practice of distributing power away from a central authority.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the ideology or political principle that advocates distributing power, authority, or functions away from a central authority to local or regional units.
Decentralism argues that local communities should have greater control over public services and decision-making.
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Noun 2
a system or practice in which administrative, political, or organizational functions are distributed away from a single central authority.
The company's decentralism allowed regional offices to set their own hiring policies.
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Last updated: 2025/10/18 19:43