Difference Wiki

Center vs. Centre

The main difference between center and centre is that the word center belongs to American English whereas the word centre belongs to British English.

Key Differences

Center is used worldwide to describe sporting positions in traditional American sports, e.g., American football and baseball, on the other hand, the centre is used worldwide to describe sporting positions in traditional British sports.
Samantha Walker
Oct 24, 2019
If you want to adopt American spelling then the correct word is center on the flip side; if you want to speak like a British person, the proper word is ‘centre.’
Center is standard in American English; conversely, the centre has accepted the term in British English.
The word center refers to the middle point of something, and the spelling “center” is the American variant of this word, whereas the word centre belongs to the British English with the same meaning. This word (with both the spellings) is used as a noun as well as a verb.
In England, the word ‘center’ refers to the middle point of something, while ‘centre’ refers to the establishments, organizations, and structures, etc.

Comparison Chart

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The American spelling variant which refers to the middle point of something
The British spelling variant which refers to the middle point of something
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In England

Refers to the center of something
Refers to the establishments or structures

Word

Older
Newer

Accepted In

American English
British English
Samantha Walker
Oct 24, 2019

Center and Centre Definitions

Center

A point or place that is equally distant from the sides or outer boundaries of something; the middle
The center of a stage.

Centre

Variant of center.

Center

A point equidistant from the vertices of a regular polygon.
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Centre

Alternative spelling of center.

Center

A point equidistant from all points on the circumference of a circle or on the surface of a sphere.

Centre

Alternative spelling of center

Center

A point around which something rotates or revolves
The sun is the center of our solar system.

Centre

See Center.

Center

A part of an object that is surrounded by the rest; a core
Chocolates with soft centers.
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Centre

A low-lying region in central France

Center

A place where a particular activity or service is concentrated
A medical center.

Centre

An area that is approximately central within some larger region;
It is in the center of town
They ran forward into the heart of the struggle
They were in the eye of the storm

Center

A point of origin, as of influence, ideas, or actions
A center of power.
A center of unrest.

Centre

A point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure

Center

An area of dense population
A metropolitan center.

Centre

A place where some particular activity is concentrated;
They received messages from several centers

Center

A person or thing that is the chief object of attention, interest, activity, or emotion.

Centre

The sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering

Center

A person, object, or group occupying a middle position.

Centre

A cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process;
In most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere

Center

Often Center A political group or a set of policies representing a moderate view between those of the right and the left.

Centre

A building dedicated to a particular activity;
They were raising money to build a new center for research

Center

(Physiology) A group of neurons in the central nervous system that control a particular function
The vasomotor center.

Centre

Move into the center;
That vase in the picture is not centered

Center

(Sports) A player who holds a middle position on the field, court, or forward line in some team sports, such as hockey and basketball.

Centre

Direct one's attention on something;
Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies

Center

(Football) An offensive lineman who snaps the ball to begin a play, usually positioned in the middle of the line.

Center

(Baseball) Center field.

Center

A small conical hole made in a piece of work with a center punch so that a drill can be accurately positioned within it.

Center

A bar with a conical point used to support work, as during turning on a lathe.

Center

A centering.

Center

A point in space equidistant from all the points on an arch or on a portion of an arch.

Center

To place in or at the center
Centered the vase on the table.

Center

To direct toward a center or central point; concentrate or focus
Tried to center the discussion on the main issues.

Center

To pass (a ball or puck) toward the center of a playing area.

Center

To play as a center on (a line), as in ice hockey.

Center

(Football) To hike (the ball) to begin a down.

Center

To be concentrated; cluster
The epidemic centered in the urban areas.

Center

To have a central theme or concern; be focused
Her novels center on the problems of adolescence.

Center

(Sports) To play as a center.

Center

The point in the interior of a circle that is equidistant from all points on the circumference.

Center

The point in the interior of a sphere that is equidistant from all points on the circumference.

Center

The middle portion of something; the part well away from the edges.

Center

(obsolete) The innermost point of the Earth, or the Earth itself, as the center or foundation of the Universe; the center or foundation of the Universe abstractly.

Center

(geometry) The point on a line that is midway between the ends.

Center

(geometry) The point in the interior of any figure of any number of dimensions that has as its coordinates the arithmetic mean of the coordinates of all points on the perimeter of the figure (or of all points in the interior for a center of volume).

Center

The subgroup (respectively, subring), denoted Z(G), of those elements of a given group (respectively, ring) G that commute with every element of G.

Center

A place, especially a building or complex, set aside for some specified function or activity.
Shopping center, convention center, civic center, garment center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Rockefeller Center

Center

(politics) The ensemble of moderate or centrist political parties.

Center

The venue in which the head of government in a centralized state is situated.

Center

A topic that is particularly important in a given context, the element in a subject of cognition, volition or discussion that is perceived as decisive.
The center of the controversy
The center of attention

Center

(sports) A player in the middle of a playing area.

Center

(basketball) The player, generally the tallest, who plays closest to the basket.

Center

(ice hockey) The forward that generally plays between the left wing and right wing and usually takes the faceoffs.

Center

The person who holds the ball at the beginning of each play.

Center

(netball) A player who can go all over the court, except the shooting circles.

Center

(soccer) A pass played into the centre of the pitch.

Center

(rugby) One of the backs operating in a central area of the pitch, either the inside centre or outside centre.

Center

A certain mechanical implement functioning in the middle of a whole apparatus

Center

(architecture) A temporary structure upon which the materials of a vault or arch are supported in position until the work becomes self-supporting.

Center

(engineering) One of the two conical steel pins in a lathe, etc., upon which the work is held, and about which it revolves.

Center

(engineering) A conical recess or indentation in the end of a shaft or other work, to receive the point of a center, on which the work can turn, as in a lathe.

Center

The ring in the gambling game two-up in which the spinner operates.

Center

Of, at, or related to a center.

Center

(transitive) To cause (an object) to occupy the center of an area.
He centered the heading of the document.

Center

(transitive) To cause (some attribute, such as a mood or voltage) to be adjusted to a value which is midway between the extremes.

Center

(transitive) To give (something) a central basis.

Center

(intransitive) To concentrate on (something), to pay close attention to (something).
The plot centers on the life of a working-class family.
The discussion centered around the recent issues.

Center

(engineering) To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.

Center

A point equally distant from the extremities of a line, figure, or body, or from all parts of the circumference of a circle; the middle point or place.

Center

The middle or central portion of anything.

Center

A principal or important point of concentration; the nucleus around which things are gathered or to which they tend; an object of attention, action, or force; as, a center of attaction.

Center

The earth.

Center

Those members of a legislative assembly (as in France) who support the existing government. They sit in the middle of the legislative chamber, opposite the presiding officer, between the conservatives or monarchists, who sit on the right of the speaker, and the radicals or advanced republicans who occupy the seats on his left, See Right, and Left.

Center

A temporary structure upon which the materials of a vault or arch are supported in position until the work becomes self-supporting.

Center

One of the two conical steel pins, in a lathe, etc., upon which the work is held, and about which it revolves.

Center

To be placed in a center; to be central.

Center

To be collected to a point; to be concentrated; to rest on, or gather about, as a center.
Where there is no visible truth wherein to center, error is as wide as men's fancies.
Our hopes must center in ourselves alone.

Center

To place or fix in the center or on a central point.

Center

To collect to a point; to concentrate.
Thy joys are centered all in me alone.

Center

To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.

Center

An area that is approximately central within some larger region;
It is in the center of town
They ran forward into the heart of the struggle
They were in the eye of the storm

Center

The piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the catcher;
He hit the ball to deep center

Center

A building dedicated to a particular activity;
They were raising money to build a new center for research

Center

A point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure

Center

The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience;
The gist of the prosecutor's argument
The heart and soul of the Republican Party
The nub of the story

Center

The object upon which interest and attention focuses;
His stories made him the center of the party

Center

A cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process;
In most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere

Center

The middle of a military or naval formation;
They had to reinforce the center

Center

(basketball) the person who plays center on a basketball team

Center

(football) the person who plays center on the line of scrimmage and snaps the ball to the quarterback;
The center fumbled the handoff

Center

A place where some particular activity is concentrated;
They received messages from several centers

Center

Politically moderate persons; centrists

Center

(ice hockey) the person who plays center on a hockey team

Center

The sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering

Center

Mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area; a modern version of the traditional marketplace;
A good plaza should have a movie house
They spent their weekends at the local malls

Center

The position on a hockey team of the player who participates in the face off at the beginning of the game

Center

The position of the player on the line of scrimmage who puts the ball in play;
It is a center's responsibility to get the football to the quarterback

Center

A position on a basketball team of the player who participates in the center jump to start the game

Center

Center upon;
Her entire attention centered on her children
Our day revolved around our work

Center

Direct one's attention on something;
Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies

Center

Move into the center;
That vase in the picture is not centered

Center

Equally distant from the extremes

Center

Of or belonging to the political or intellectual right

Center vs. Centre

The terms center and centre are often confusing for many people. They are the two same words with a different spelling. The word center and centre hold the same meaning. The difference between both words is the place in which the word is used. The word center belongs to American English. The word centre belongs to British English.

American English and British English have regional and local variations. These variations lie in spoken as well as written English. The proper word is the centre to speak in the British style. But if you want to adopt American spelling, then the correct word is center.

The meaning of the word center/centre is, “the middle point, the point within a regular polygon equally distant from the vertices, or the point within a circle or sphere equally distant from all points of the circumference or surface.” The words center and center can cause problems in the context, meaning or message if you are not careful in their usage.

The center is used in the world to describe the sporting positions in traditional sports of America. For example, American football and American baseball. The word centre is used in the world to describe the sporting positions in British traditional sports. For example, the center and center-forward in rugby.

In England, these two words are also used differently. ‘Center’ refers to the center of something, while ‘centre’ refers to the establishments or structures. Although Americans sometimes adopt the British spelling in their establishments or businesses to give them a little more class. The example of it is, “There are many ‘theatre centres’ in the mall-towns of America.”

What is Center?

The word center is a verb as well as a noun. The meaning of the center is “to position anything in the middle of an area which is predetermined.” Center aims at finding the middle, to revolve around the main topic.” For example, Before practicing yoga, you must center yourself in the present moment to practice it effectively as a noun center refers to the middle point of something.

Center also refers to any organization, e.g., the “Pew Research Center.” Also, it refers to a building or place used for activities, e.g., “the athletic center on a college campus.” The word center is commonly seen in American English. It is relatively new spellings than its variant centre.

The origination the word center dates back to late Middle English. It derives from Old French, or Latin “centrum,” from Greek “kentron” that means ‘sharp and stationary point of a pair of compasses.’ It is related to “kentein,” which means ‘to prick.’

Some other meanings or synonyms of the center are “point, axis, pivot, etc., around which anything rotates or revolves. Moreover, the center also holds the meaning “the source of an action, influence, or force, upon which emotions or interests are focused. Center can be a principal point, object, or place.

Examples

  • The textile industry was centered in the Lancashire and Yorkshire. (as a verb)
  • There was a delicious, candied cherry at the center of my chocolate cake. (as a noun)

What is Centre?

The word centre belongs to British English. The meaning of the word centre is, “the middle point, the point within a regular polygon equally distant from the vertices, or the point within a circle or sphere equally distant from all points of the circumference or surface.” There are variations of this word centre in England. ‘Centre’ refers to various establishments or structures.

The word centre is used in the world to describe the sporting positions in British traditional sports — for example, the centre and centre forward in rugby. Centre is also used as an alternative word for “center’ and holds the same meaning as center. But this use is not common.

Americans sometimes adopt the British spelling in their establishments or businesses to give them a little more class. The example of it is, “There are many ‘theatre centres’ in the mall-towns of America.” Centre is the older term than its American variant center. It later became specified to American English as ‘center.’ This specification occurred during the period of rapid linguistic evolution when the US started expanding its influence.

The word “centre” is used in Britain and other countries that have adopted the British system of spelling. The examples of such countries are India and Canada. It is also used in America for institutions or certain place names such as Alabama, Centre, Centre College in Kentucky, and the Centre Region of Haiti.

Examples

  • “Tesco is shutting two of its United Kingdom distribution centres which will create more than 1000 redundancies at the supermarket.” (The Telegraph)
  • “Centre Region,” France.
  • Centre for Library/Environmental Sciences and Engineering

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