Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

central

 adjective
     
Related topics: Government
cen‧tral S1 W1
1

middle

[only before noun, no comparative] in the middle of an area or an object:
He lives in central London.
The roof is supported by a central column.
2

from one place

[only before noun, no comparative]PG used about the part of an organization, system etc which controls the rest of it, or its work:
the party's central office
the system's central control unit
central planning
3

important

more important and having more influence than anything else
central to
values which are central to our society
Owen played a central role in the negotiations.
His ideas were of central importance in the development of the theory.
central idea/theme/concern etc
Education has become a central issue in public debate.
4

easy access

a place that is central is easy to reach because it is near the middle of a town or area:
It's very central, just five minutes walk from the main square.
5

party/comedy etc central

informal a place where something is happening a lot:
Tim's house became party central for the band and their friends.
—centrally adverb:
Our office is centrally situated.
All data is held centrally.
—centrality noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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