centre

centre cen‧tre [ˈsentə ǁ -ər] , center noun [countable]

1. COMMERCE the place where most of the important things connected with a business or activity happen:

• Bahrain has become a major international banking centre.

centre of

• plans to turn the town into a centre of high-tech inward investment

ˈcost ˌcentre , cost center ACCOUNTING COMMERCE

part of a business that is used as a unit to calculate the costs related to operating it:

• The company is splitting itself into four cost centres and four profit centres.

fiˈnancial ˌcentre , financial center FINANCE

1. [countable] a city where there are a lot of financial activities, such as banking and insurance. A financial centre may also have a stockmarket, currency market etc:

• If the UK does not enter the euro, it could harm London's standing as an international financial centre.

• global financial centers such as London, Paris, Tokyo and Frankfurt

2. [countable] a city or country where there are fewer rules, less strict laws, lower taxes etc:

• Dublin is promoting itself as an offshore financial centre.

ˈmoney ˌcenter BANKING FINANCE

a large, important bank, or a city where there are many such banks:

• such major money centers as Tokyo, Hong Kong, London and Frankfurt

• the big New York money-center banks

ˈprofit ˌcentre , profit center ACCOUNTING COMMERCE

a part of a business that is expected to produce profits, or that is used as a unit in calculating profits in relation to other parts:

• Porsche's research and development facility works for other auto makers, including Ford, and is run as a profit center.

2. a building that is used for a particular activity

asˈsessment ˌcentre , assessment center

HUMAN RESOURCES a way of selecting new employees by giving them a set of tests, interviews, and activities over a period of a day or more, or the place where this is carried out

ˈbusiness adˌvice ˌcentre , ˈbusiness deˌvelopment ˌcenter COMMERCE

a place where specially trained staff are available to give advice on running a small business:

• Local authorities are playing a part in the promotion of co-operatives, in training schemes and business advice centres.

US UK (US center) /ˈsentə^r/ noun [C]

► a building, office, etc. that is used for a particular business or activity: »

a conference centre

»

The retailer has a customer service centre in Dundee and distribution centres in Dundee and Livingston.

► an area, city, or country which is known for a particular business or activity and where a lot of business, etc. takes place: centre for sth »

Hong Kong has long been recognized as a centre for the production of jade jewellery.

commercial/financial/industrial centre »

Dubai is acknowledged to be the commercial centre of the Middle East.

► especially UK the main part of a town or city, where most of its offices, stores, etc. are: town/city centre »

Most commuters travel into the city centre by public transport.

● the centre — Cf. the centre

→ See also ASSESSMENT CENTRE(Cf. ↑assessment centre), BUSINESS ADVICE CENTRE(Cf. ↑business advice centre), BUSINESS CENTRE(Cf. ↑business centre), BUYING CENTRE(Cf. ↑buying centre), CALL CENTRE(Cf. ↑call centre), CIVIC CENTRE(Cf. ↑civic centre), CONTACT CENTRE(Cf. ↑contact centre), COST CENTRE(Cf. ↑cost centre), DATA CENTRE(Cf. ↑data centre), DISTRIBUTION CENTRE(Cf. ↑distribution centre), ENTERPRISE CENTRE(Cf. ↑enterprise centre), EXHIBITION CENTRE(Cf. ↑exhibition centre), JOB CENTRE(Cf. ↑job centre), MONEY CENTRE(Cf. ↑money centre), PROFIT CENTRE(Cf. ↑profit centre), SERVICE CENTRE(Cf. ↑service centre), SHOPPING CENTRE(Cf. ↑shopping centre)