What does decentering mean?
Decentring is the act or process of moving something away from a central position, or of treating it as no longer the primary or most important element within a system of thought. The word is used both concretely — for instance, physically relocating objects — and, far more often, abstractly in academic discourse. In poststructuralist philosophy, associated with figures such as Derrida and Foucault, decentring the subject meant challenging the assumption that the individual human mind is the fixed source of meaning. In education and historiography, decentring a canon involves broadening attention beyond dominant traditions toward previously marginalised perspectives. Related terms include decentralization, which concerns the distribution of administrative power, though decentring is broader and more conceptual. The term is chiefly formal and scholarly, appearing frequently in critical theory, postcolonial studies, and pedagogy, and it carries an intellectual, reformist connotation rather than an emotional one.
The act or process of removing something from a central position, or of treating it as less important than other elements; especially in critical theory, the displacement of a dominant perspective from its assumed foundational role.
"The historian argued that a genuine global account requires the decentring of Europe as the organising framework of world history."
Spelled 'decentring' in British English; chiefly academic in register.
Present participle and gerund of the verb 'decenter': to move away from a centre, or to cause something to cease being regarded as central or essential.
"By decentring the narrator's voice, the novel lets multiple characters share interpretive authority."
As a verb form it functions like any present participle; the noun use is more distinctive.
In poststructuralist theory, decentering the subject meant dethroning humanity itself as the fixed centre of meaning — an idea that reshaped philosophy, literary criticism, and social science in the late twentieth century.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of decentering
Decentring derives from the verb 'decenter', formed by prefixing the Latin-derived 'de-' (indicating removal or reversal) to 'center', which itself comes from the Greek 'kentron' via Latin 'centrum'. The compound verb emerged in English relatively recently compared with 'centre' itself, gaining particular prominence in twentieth-century academic writing on structuralism and poststructuralism, where thinkers spoke of 'decentring' the human subject. Its cognates all trace back to the same Greek root, including 'central', 'eccentric', and 'concentrate'.
Related word forms
How decentering is actually used
Primarily an academic term, common in critical theory, postcolonial studies, geography, and education. British spelling typically uses 'decentring'; American spelling uses 'decentering'. The word carries intellectual rather than emotional connotations and is rare in everyday conversation.
Easily confused with decentering
Decentralization refers specifically to distributing power or administration away from a central authority, whereas decentering more broadly means displacing anything from a position of centrality or dominance.
Disorientation means losing one's sense of direction or bearings, while decentering describes removing something's central status rather than a person's confusion.