decentralization
/ˌdiːˌsentrəlaɪˈzeɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdiːˌsentrələˈzeɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)dē-ˌsen-trə-lə-ˈzā-shən/ (ame, mw)
decentralization — noun
1. a system or process in which a large organization, government, or company gives
a system or process in which a large organization, government, or company gives some of its authority to make decisions to smaller local groups or regional offices, instead of keeping all control in one central place
After Dr. Okonkwo took over the district health office, decentralization gave her team the power to buy medicine locally.
decentralization as subject of 'give'
The decentralization of the national railway system allowed each region to set its own ticket prices.
decentralization + of + noun phrase
Many voters supported the candidate's promise of decentralization for the country's education system.
The company's decentralization meant that branch managers could now decide which products to sell in their stores.
After decentralization, Principal Okafor decided which books her school would buy.
- delegation
focuses on the act of giving tasks to others, rather than a systemic restructuring
- devolution
usually refers to government power being transferred to regional bodies; more formal
- distribution
broader term that can apply to resources, not just authority
- centralization
the opposite process of concentrating power in one place
文法句型
decentralization + of + noun
用法筆記
Usually uncountable. This is the more common sense; when used without context, decentralization typically refers to the sharing of authority rather than geographic movement.
常見錯誤
2. the movement of people, jobs, and businesses away from the central area of a cit
the movement of people, jobs, and businesses away from the central area of a city toward suburbs, smaller towns, or rural regions
The decentralization of factories from the capital to smaller cities created new jobs in those areas.
decentralization + of + industry/business as subject
Urban decentralization led to the growth of suburbs around many major cities in the 1960s.
urban decentralization as modifier + noun
The Watanabe family moved to the suburbs during the decentralization of industry that followed the war.
The city's plan encouraged the decentralization of businesses by offering lower taxes in outlying districts.
Decentralization led the Guo family to leave Taipei and settle in the suburbs.
- dispersal
describes the spreading out of people or things; more general
- suburbanization
specifically refers to movement to suburbs
- outward migration
focuses on the population aspect of the movement
- urbanization
the process of population moving into cities
- concentration
opposite of geographic dispersion
文法句型
decentralization + of + noun
用法筆記
In geography and urban studies, this sense is often paired with 'suburbanization'. Distinguish from sense 1 (SHIFT POWER): sense 2 describes a physical movement of people and things, not the sharing of authority.