central government

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   The national authority that governs a whole country, as opposed to regional or local authorities.

   Grammar: Often used with 'the': the central government funds schools; also as an uncountable idea.

   Patterns

   • central government in somewhere

   The central government decided to raise the national minimum wage.

   Local councils depend on money from central government.

   The region wants more power to be moved from the central government.

Common combinations

central government funding

Hospitals rely on central government funding.

the central government announced

The central government announced a new transport plan.

local and central government

Both local and central government were blamed for the delays.

blame the central government

Residents blamed the central government for the floods.

a strong central government

The country has a strong central government.

Synonyms and how they differ

federal government

Is used in federal states like the US, where power is shared between the national and state levels.

national government

Is nearly the same, but stresses the whole nation rather than the contrast with local bodies.

state

Can mean the same body but is broader, covering all public institutions.

administration

Often refers to the particular leaders in power at a time.

Opposites

Word family

centralize verb

To bring power under a central authority.

centralization noun

Gathering power in one central place.

centralized adjective

Controlled from one central point.

Commonly confused: central government or local government?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “central government”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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