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Meaning & use

command centre

noun·AcademicBritish

Last updated

UK/kəˈmɑːnd ˌsen.tə/
US/kəˈmænd ˌsen.t̬ɚ/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A place from which an operation, an emergency response or a military force is directed and monitored.

    Grammar: Countable: a command centre, two command centres.

    Patterns

    • command centre for something
    • in the command centre

    The rescue teams were directed from a temporary command centre.

    Screens in the command centre showed the flood map.

    Officers rushed to the command centre after the alarm.

  2. nouncountableinformalfigurative

    A busy room or area, in an office or home, where work is organized and many tasks are managed.

    Grammar: Informal and figurative: the kitchen is our family command centre.

    Patterns

    • a family command centre

    Her desk is the command centre of the whole office.

    The kitchen wall with the calendar is our family command centre.

    He turned the spare room into a command centre for the campaign.

Word forms

pluralcommand centres

Common combinations

set up a command centre
Police set up a command centre near the scene.
emergency command centre
The emergency command centre coordinated all the ambulances.
mobile command centre
A mobile command centre arrived by truck.
run from a command centre
The operation was run from a command centre in the capital.
command centre staff
Command centre staff monitored the situation all night.

Synonyms and how they differ

control room
A control room usually monitors machines or broadcasts, while a command centre directs people and operations.
headquarters
Headquarters is the main base of an organization, whereas a command centre may be temporary for one event.
operations centre
Operations centre is similar but sounds more routine and administrative.
nerve centre
Nerve centre is more figurative and stresses importance, while command centre names an actual place.

Word family

command noun
an order or authority over a group
command verb
to order or be in charge of
commander noun
a person in charge of a unit or operation
centre noun
the middle point or main hub

Commonly confused: command centre or command center?

command centre vs command center

Command center is the American spelling of the same word, with no difference in meaning.

Practice

During a flood, where would officials most likely coordinate the response?

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