Centre vs. Center: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Centre" and "Center" are the same in meaning, referring to the middle point of something, but differ in spelling; "Centre" is used in British English, while "Center" is used in American English.
Key Differences
The word "centre," used in British English, signifies the middle point or main area of activity. "Center," its American counterpart, carries the same meaning, indicating a focal point or core area.
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In British English, buildings or organizations are often named using "centre," such as "community centre." In contrast, in American English, "center" is used, as in "community center."
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"Centre" is also used in British spellings in terms like "centre of gravity." The American spelling "center" applies to the same terms, like "center of gravity."
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In British English, phrases like "city centre" denote the central part of a city. In American English, the equivalent phrase is "city center."
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When it comes to sports, British English refers to a "centre forward" in football (soccer), whereas American English uses "center forward" for the same position.
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Comparison Chart
Usage in Organizations
Community centre, leisure centre
Community center, leisure center
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Sports Positions
Centre forward (in football/soccer)
Center forward (in basketball, hockey)
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Centre and Center Definitions
Centre
Centre refers to the middle point or part of something.
The tree was planted in the centre of the garden.
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Center
Center means the middle point or part of something.
The statue stands at the center of the park.
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Centre
In geometry, the centre is the midpoint of a circle or sphere.
The centre of a circle is equidistant from all points on its circumference.
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Center
In basketball, a center is a player positioned near the basket.
He plays as a center for his college basketball team.
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Centre
In sports, centre describes a player's position in the middle of the field.
She plays as a centre in her school's hockey team.
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Center
A point or place that is equally distant from the sides or outer boundaries of something; the middle
The center of a stage.
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Center
A point equidistant from all points on the circumference of a circle or on the surface of a sphere.
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Center
A point around which something rotates or revolves
The sun is the center of our solar system.
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Center
A part of an object that is surrounded by the rest; a core
Chocolates with soft centers.
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Center
A place where a particular activity or service is concentrated
A medical center.
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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
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Center
A point of origin, as of influence, ideas, or actions
A center of power.
A center of unrest.
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Centre
A point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure
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Centre
A place where some particular activity is concentrated;
They received messages from several centers
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Center
A person or thing that is the chief object of attention, interest, activity, or emotion.
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Centre
The sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering
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Centre
A cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process;
In most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere
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Center
Often Center A political group or a set of policies representing a moderate view between those of the right and the left.
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Centre
A building dedicated to a particular activity;
They were raising money to build a new center for research
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Center
(Physiology) A group of neurons in the central nervous system that control a particular function
The vasomotor center.
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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.
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Centre
Direct one's attention on something;
Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies
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Center
(Football) An offensive lineman who snaps the ball to begin a play, usually positioned in the middle of the line.
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Centre
Centre also means a building or complex for specific activities.
The new shopping centre opened last week.
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Centre
Centre can indicate a crucial point of focus or activity.
London has always been the cultural centre of the UK.
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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.
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Center
A bar with a conical point used to support work, as during turning on a lathe.
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Center
A point in space equidistant from all the points on an arch or on a portion of an arch.
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Center
To direct toward a center or central point; concentrate or focus
Tried to center the discussion on the main issues.
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Center
To be concentrated; cluster
The epidemic centered in the urban areas.
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Center
To have a central theme or concern; be focused
Her novels center on the problems of adolescence.
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Center
The point in the interior of a circle that is equidistant from all points on the circumference.
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Center
The point in the interior of a sphere that is equidistant from all points on the circumference.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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
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Center
The venue in which the head of government in a centralized state is situated.
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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
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Center
(basketball) The player, generally the tallest, who plays closest to the basket.
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Center
(ice hockey) The forward that generally plays between the left wing and right wing and usually takes the faceoffs.
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Center
(netball) A player who can go all over the court, except the shooting circles.
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Center
(rugby) One of the backs operating in a central area of the pitch, either the inside centre or outside centre.
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Center
A certain mechanical implement functioning in the middle of a whole apparatus
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Center
(architecture) A temporary structure upon which the materials of a vault or arch are supported in position until the work becomes self-supporting.
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Center
(engineering) One of the two conical steel pins in a lathe, etc., upon which the work is held, and about which it revolves.
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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.
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Center
(transitive) To cause (an object) to occupy the center of an area.
He centered the heading of the document.
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Center
(transitive) To cause (some attribute, such as a mood or voltage) to be adjusted to a value which is midway between the extremes.
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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.
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Center
(engineering) To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Center
A temporary structure upon which the materials of a vault or arch are supported in position until the work becomes self-supporting.
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Center
One of the two conical steel pins, in a lathe, etc., upon which the work is held, and about which it revolves.
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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.
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Center
To collect to a point; to concentrate.
Thy joys are centered all in me alone.
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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
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Center
The piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the catcher;
He hit the ball to deep center
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Center
A building dedicated to a particular activity;
They were raising money to build a new center for research
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Center
A point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure
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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
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Center
The object upon which interest and attention focuses;
His stories made him the center of the party
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Center
A cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process;
In most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere
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Center
The middle of a military or naval formation;
They had to reinforce the center
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Center
(football) the person who plays center on the line of scrimmage and snaps the ball to the quarterback;
The center fumbled the handoff
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Center
A place where some particular activity is concentrated;
They received messages from several centers
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Center
The sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering
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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
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Center
The position on a hockey team of the player who participates in the face off at the beginning of the game
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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
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Center
A position on a basketball team of the player who participates in the center jump to start the game
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Center
Center upon;
Her entire attention centered on her children
Our day revolved around our work
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Center
Direct one's attention on something;
Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies
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Center
Center can refer to a building used for a particular purpose.
The community center hosts weekly events.
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Center
In astronomy, a center is the middle point of a celestial body.
The Earth's core is the center of the planet.
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Center
Center also signifies a principal point of interest or activity.
New York is often considered the financial center of the world.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What does center mean in sports?
A player's position in the middle of the game area.
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How is center used in American English?
As the middle point or main area of activity.
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Are centre and center interchangeable?
Yes, but dependent on British or American English usage.
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Can centre be used in scientific contexts?
Yes, like in "centre of gravity."
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Is center commonly used in UK English?
No, centre is the preferred spelling in UK English.
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Does center always mean a physical location?
Not always; it can also refer to a focal point in a broader sense.
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How does center function in basketball?
As a position near the basket for a player.
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Is the spelling center increasing globally?
American English influence is increasing, but both spellings are widely recognized.
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Do centre and center have different etymologies?
They share the same origin but diverged in spelling due to regional differences.
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What is a shopping centre?
A complex with multiple retail stores, known as a shopping center in the U.S.
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Is there a difference in pronunciation between centre and center?
No, they are pronounced the same.
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Is center used in Canadian English?
Canadian English often uses the British spelling, centre.
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Are there any phrases where only centre is used?
Specific phrases might favor one spelling, but they're usually interchangeable.
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Can centre and center be used in names?
Yes, in names of places, buildings, or organizations.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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