central

central — 形容詞

1. situated close to the middle of a space, or placed so that reaching it from vari

1.形容詞B1
釋義

中心的

位於中央或中心附近的

situated close to the middle of a space, or placed so that reaching it from various directions is convenient.

例句

The hotel sits on a central street, a short walk from the main train station.

這間飯店位於中央街道上，離主要火車站僅幾步之遙。

position: central + location noun (street, area, district)

Wen picked a central table in the restaurant so everyone could see the stage.

Wen 選了餐廳中央的桌子，讓每個人都能看到舞台。

position: central + noun for object (table, room, point)

同義詞
  • middle

    more precise about the exact midpoint; 'central' can mean near the middle, not necessarily at it

  • mid

    mainly used in fixed phrases like 'mid position'; less common as a standalone adjective

  • inner

    suggests being farther inside, not just near the middle; 'central' has a wider zone

反義詞
  • outlying

    describes areas far from the centre of a city or region

  • remote

    suggests being far away and hard to reach

用法筆記

Often used to describe the position of a building, room, or area within a city or space. The opposite is 'outlying' or 'remote'.

2. being the most important or essential part of something, serving as the main bas

2.形容詞C2
釋義

核心的

最重要或最關鍵的

being the most important or essential part of something, serving as the main basis for an idea, system, or argument.

例句

Trust is a central part of any strong friendship between two people.

信任是任何深厚友誼中核心的一部分。

pattern: central + part / element / issue / theme

The central argument of the article is that education must be free for everyone.

那篇文章的主要論點是教育應該對所有人免費。

同義詞
  • main

    more general and slightly less formal; 'central' emphasises the core function more strongly

  • key

    similar intensity, often used in problem-solving contexts ('key factor', 'key element')

  • principal

    more formal; often used in official or financial contexts

  • core

    suggests the very centre of something; slightly more emphatic than 'central'

反義詞
  • peripheral

    describes something of minor or secondary importance

  • secondary

    less important, not the main focus

用法筆記

Frequently used with abstract nouns: central issue, central question, central role, central theme. It is stronger than 'important' — implies that without this element, the whole thing would not work or make sense.

常見錯誤

❌The main character is a central person in the story.
✅The main character plays a central role in the story.
💡'central' typically modifies abstract nouns (role, issue, theme), not people directly.

3. relating to the main office or group that controls or directs smaller units with

3.形容詞C1
釋義

中央的

由總機構統一管理或控制的

relating to the main office or group that controls or directs smaller units within the same system, such as branches, local teams, or affiliated organisations.

例句

The central office sends new policy updates to all branch managers every quarter.

總部每季向所有分行經理發送新的政策更新。

collocation: central office / central bank / central committee

Leila's application was reviewed by the central committee before the final decision was made.

Leila 的申請在做出最終決定前由中央委員會審查。

同義詞
  • head

    informal, as in 'head office'; less precise than 'central'

  • main

    broader in meaning, can also refer to physical size or importance

  • federal

    restricted to political systems with a central government and states/provinces

反義詞
  • local

    describes units that operate in a specific area rather than from a main office

  • regional

    mid-level between local and central

  • branch

    describes smaller offices that report to a central office

用法筆記

Only used before a noun ('attributive position'). You cannot say 'The office is central' with this meaning — that would be sense 1 (NEAR THE MIDDLE). The noun that follows is typically an organisational unit: office, government, bank, committee, authority.

常見錯誤

❌The committee is central and makes all rules.
✅The central committee makes all the rules.
💡This sense must be used directly before a noun, not as a complement.

central — 名詞