To bring something under the control of a single central authority rather than spreading it among many local ones.
From central (from Latin centrum, 'center') + -ise (British suffix for making verbs). The -ise ending comes from Latin -izare, borrowed from Greek -izein. The concept emerged in the 18th-19th centuries as nations consolidated power.
Centralise is the British spelling while Americans say 'centralize'—but both words became really important during the Industrial Revolution when governments realized they could control large territories more efficiently from one capital city.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.