overcentralize

verb

over·​cen·​tral·​ize ˌō-vər-ˈsen-trə-ˌlīz How to pronounce overcentralize (audio)
overcentralized; overcentralizing

transitive + intransitive

: to centralize (something, such as power or authority) to an excessive degree
… any condition that tends to overcentralize political power is dangerous.John Francis Cronin
… a tendency of commanders to overcentralize authority and control, denying junior officers the opportunity to exercise independent command and judgment.Donald A. Carter
A third genre of complaints against the multinational corporation is that it overcentralizes management decisions in its head office.Neil H. Jacoby
… the current provincial trend to overcentralize public services, from the police and education to health care, in the name of short-term cost-cutting …Anthony Winson and Belinda Leach
overcentralization noun
plural overcentralizations
the overcentralization of the government
overcentralized adjective
an overcentralized system
… the present overcentralized control of the police … John F. M. McDermott

Examples of overcentralize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Similarly, some leaders choose to overcentralize or even over-decentralize activities in more complex organizations, all with the same effect of slowing down data value realization. Phil Le-Brun, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overcentralize was in 1918

Dictionary Entries Near overcentralize

Cite this Entry

“Overcentralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overcentralize. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

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