What does centrefold mean?
A centrefold is a photograph, illustration, or feature that occupies the two facing pages at the very middle of a magazine, allowing an image to run uninterrupted across a double-page spread. The term arose in twentieth-century publishing and became especially associated with glamour photography, since many popular magazines reserved their most striking images — often pin-up photographs of models or celebrities — for this prominent position. By natural extension, 'centrefold' also refers to the person pictured in such a spread, as in 'she was the magazine's centrefold that year'. British English spells the word 'centrefold', following the spelling of 'centre', while American English writes 'centerfold'; the meanings are identical. Today the word retains its literal publishing sense but is most often met in discussions of vintage magazines and popular culture, where it evokes a particular era of print media.
nounA large photograph or feature spread across the two facing pages at the centre of a magazine, especially a glamorous or pin-up image of a person; by extension, the person pictured in such a spread.
- A photograph or article printed across the two central facing pages of a magazine, especially a glamour or pin-up picture.
- The person featured in such a photograph.
"The actress posed as the magazine's centrefold in its anniversary issue."
"Her career took off after she appeared as a centrefold in a popular men's magazine."
"The issue opened with a lavish centrefold charting fifty years of the magazine's history."
Regular plural; both the photographic spreads and the people pictured can be referred to with it.
"The archive contains hundreds of centrefolds from the magazine's early years."
The word is barely older than the phenomenon it names — coined in mid-20th-century America for the magazine pages that folded out to double size.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of centrefold
Centrefold is a straightforward compound of 'centre' and 'fold', coined in twentieth-century American English to describe material printed on the sheet that folds to form the middle pages of a magazine. The element 'centre' derives from Latin 'centrum', itself borrowed from Greek 'kentron', meaning a sharp point or pivot, which also gives us related words such as 'central' and 'concentric'. The word entered common use alongside the rise of large-format illustrated magazines in the mid-twentieth century.
Usage notes
The spelling 'centrefold' is standard in British English, while American English uses 'centerfold'. The word carries a connotation of glamour photography and is often associated with men's magazines of the late twentieth century; it can sound dated or titillating depending on context.
Don't confuse with
'Centerfold' is simply the American spelling of the same word, with no difference in meaning.