Centricity

Centricity is the quality or state of being centered or focused on a particular center, core, or hub. The term derives from the Latin centrum meaning center, combined with the suffix -icity to denote a state or condition. In everyday language, centricity often describes a design, process, or philosophy that places a specific subject or value at the heart of consideration.

In practice, centricity is used across disciplines to express a focal orientation. In design and user experience, it is common to describe approaches as user-centric or customer-centric, emphasizing the needs, context, and goals of the primary audience. In management and strategy, centricity can refer to aligning decisions and resources around a central proposition, stakeholder group, or mission. In healthcare, patient-centric care aims to tailor services to the patient’s preferences, values, and circumstances. In the sciences, centricity can describe a geometric or operational emphasis on a center or core element, though more technical terms such as centrality, symmetry, or eccentricity are often used in specific contexts.

Because centricity is a broad, context-dependent concept, its exact meaning can vary by field. It is frequently contrasted with terms that emphasize either a peripheral focus or a decentralized approach. When used precisely, centricity communicates a deliberate orientation toward a central point, core value, or primary audience.

See also: centrality, centrism, centering.