Facility vs. Center — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 27, 2024
Facility and center are terms used to denote places designated for specific purposes; a facility often refers to a larger, possibly industrial or specialized site, whereas a center implies a focal point for activities or services, typically smaller.
Difference Between Facility and Center
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A facility generally refers to a place built for specific functions, often larger and potentially industrial, such as a manufacturing facility or a research facility. In contrast, a center usually denotes a gathering or focal point within a community, such as a community center or shopping center, emphasizing its role as a hub for activities.
Facilities may have a broad range of uses including medical, correctional, or athletic, characterized by their specialized equipment or structures necessary for their specific purposes. On the other hand, centers are often associated with services, education, and social interaction, catering more to public engagement and accessibility.
While facilities are typically designed for operational efficiency, meeting specific regulatory or logistical requirements, centers focus on accessibility and community integration, often located within easy reach of the people they serve.
The term "facility" implies a certain formality and functionality, suggesting a purpose-built, often larger scale environment. Conversely, "center" implies a more welcoming, community-focused environment, often smaller and more oriented towards public services and activities.
Both terms indicate organized spaces but differ in their connotations and typical uses. Facilities are often more private, controlled environments, whereas centers are more public, open spaces that encourage community participation and inclusion.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A place for doing specific activities.
A focal point or gathering place in a community.
Scale
Often large and industrial.
Typically smaller, community-focused.
Function
Specialized operations or services.
Public services, activities, social interaction.
Accessibility
May be restricted due to its functions.
Generally open to the public.
Typical Examples
Manufacturing plant, correctional facility.
Community center, shopping center.
Compare with Definitions
Facility
A place equipped for a particular purpose.
The medical facility houses advanced diagnostic tools.
Center
A place that is the focal point for activities or administration.
The community center offers classes and social events.
Facility
Emphasizes functionality and specific usage.
The athletic facility includes training rooms and a swimming pool.
Center
Encourages community involvement and engagement.
The arts center features galleries and workshops for local artists.
Facility
Designed for efficiency and meeting specific needs.
The new recycling facility processes thousands of tons of material weekly.
Center
Typically smaller and more versatile in use.
The town center includes shops, restaurants, and a small park.
Facility
Often large and may require special access.
The secure facility is accessible only to authorized personnel.
Center
Often central within a community or organization.
The visitor center provides information and guidance.
Facility
Can be standalone or part of a larger complex.
The company's main facility includes several manufacturing units.
Center
Associated with public accessibility and service.
The health center provides medical services to the local population.
Facility
A place, amenity, or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose
Cooking facilities
Facilities for car parking
A manufacturing facility
Center
A point or place that is equally distant from the sides or outer boundaries of something; the middle
The center of a stage.
Facility
A natural ability to do or learn something well and easily
He had a facility for languages
Center
A point equidistant from the vertices of a regular polygon.
Facility
Ease in moving, acting, or doing
"a soldier who was expected to be able to fell a tree ... or build a bridge with equal facility" (Bruce I. Gudmundsson).
Center
A point equidistant from all points on the circumference of a circle or on the surface of a sphere.
Facility
An ability or talent; an aptitude
"He was a mediocre student who had a facility for absorbing details without curiosity" (Jhumpa Lahiri).
Center
A point around which something rotates or revolves
The sun is the center of our solar system.
Facility
A building, room, array of equipment, or a number of such things, designed to serve a particular function
Hospitals and other health care facilities.
Center
A part of an object that is surrounded by the rest; a core
Chocolates with soft centers.
Facility
Something that facilitates an action or process
The region has very poor transportation facilities.
Center
A place where a particular activity or service is concentrated
A medical center.
Facility
Facilities(Informal) A restroom or public toilet.
Center
A point of origin, as of influence, ideas, or actions
A center of power.
A center of unrest.
Facility
The fact of being easy, or easily done; absence of difficulty, simplicity.
Center
An area of dense population
A metropolitan center.
Facility
Dexterity of speech or action; skill, talent.
The facility she shows in playing the violin is unrivalled.
Center
A person or thing that is the chief object of attention, interest, activity, or emotion.
Facility
The physical means or contrivances to make something (especially a public service) possible; the required equipment, infrastructure, location etc.
Transport facilities in Bangkok are not sufficient to prevent frequent traffic collapses during rush hour.
Center
A person, object, or group occupying a middle position.
Facility
An institution specially designed for a specific purpose, such as incarceration, military use, or scientific experimentation.
Center
Often Center A political group or a set of policies representing a moderate view between those of the right and the left.
Facility
Clip of credit facility
Center
(Physiology) A group of neurons in the central nervous system that control a particular function
The vasomotor center.
Facility
A toilet.
Center
(Sports) A player who holds a middle position on the field, court, or forward line in some team sports, such as hockey and basketball.
Facility
A condition of mental weakness less than idiocy, but enough to make a person easily persuaded to do something against their better interest.
Center
(Football) An offensive lineman who snaps the ball to begin a play, usually positioned in the middle of the line.
Facility
(dated) Affability.
Center
(Baseball) Center field.
Facility
The quality of being easily performed; freedom from difficulty; ease; as, the facility of an operation.
The facility with which government has been overturned in France.
Center
A small conical hole made in a piece of work with a center punch so that a drill can be accurately positioned within it.
Facility
Ease in performance; readiness proceeding from skill or use; dexterity; as, practice gives a wonderful facility in executing works of art.
Center
A bar with a conical point used to support work, as during turning on a lathe.
Facility
Easiness to be persuaded; readiness or compliance; - usually in a bad sense; pliancy.
It is a great error to take facility for good nature.
Center
A centering.
Facility
Easiness of access; complaisance; affability.
Offers himself to the visits of a friend with facility.
Center
A point in space equidistant from all the points on an arch or on a portion of an arch.
Facility
That which promotes the ease of any action or course of conduct; advantage; aid; assistance; - usually in the plural; as, special facilities for study.
Center
To place in or at the center
Centered the vase on the table.
Facility
A building or place that provides a particular service or is used for a particular industry;
The assembly plant is an enormous facility
Center
To direct toward a center or central point; concentrate or focus
Tried to center the discussion on the main issues.
Facility
Skillful performance or ability without difficulty;
His quick adeptness was a product of good design
He was famous for his facility as an archer
Center
To pass (a ball or puck) toward the center of a playing area.
Facility
A natural effortlessness;
They conversed with great facility
A happy readiness of conversation
Center
To play as a center on (a line), as in ice hockey.
Facility
Services and space and equipment provided for a particular purpose;
Catering facilities
Toilet facilities
Center
(Football) To hike (the ball) to begin a down.
Facility
A service that an organization or a piece of equipment offers you;
A cell phone with internet facility
Center
To be concentrated; cluster
The epidemic centered in the urban areas.
Center
To have a central theme or concern; be focused
Her novels center on the problems of adolescence.
Center
(Sports) To play as a center.
Center
The point in the interior of a circle that is equidistant from all points on the circumference.
Center
The point in the interior of a sphere that is equidistant from all points on the circumference.
Center
The middle portion of something; the part well away from the edges.
Center
(obsolete) The innermost point of the Earth, or the Earth itself, as the center or foundation of the Universe; the center or foundation of the Universe abstractly.
Center
(geometry) The point on a line that is midway between the ends.
Center
(geometry) The point in the interior of any figure of any number of dimensions that has as its coordinates the arithmetic mean of the coordinates of all points on the perimeter of the figure (or of all points in the interior for a center of volume).
Center
The subgroup (respectively, subring), denoted Z(G), of those elements of a given group (respectively, ring) G that commute with every element of G.
Center
A place, especially a building or complex, set aside for some specified function or activity.
Shopping center, convention center, civic center, garment center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Rockefeller Center
Center
(politics) The ensemble of moderate or centrist political parties.
Center
The venue in which the head of government in a centralized state is situated.
Center
A topic that is particularly important in a given context, the element in a subject of cognition, volition or discussion that is perceived as decisive.
The center of the controversy
The center of attention
Center
(sports) A player in the middle of a playing area.
Center
(basketball) The player, generally the tallest, who plays closest to the basket.
Center
(ice hockey) The forward that generally plays between the left wing and right wing and usually takes the faceoffs.
Center
The person who holds the ball at the beginning of each play.
Center
(netball) A player who can go all over the court, except the shooting circles.
Center
(soccer) A pass played into the centre of the pitch.
Center
(rugby) One of the backs operating in a central area of the pitch, either the inside centre or outside centre.
Center
A certain mechanical implement functioning in the middle of a whole apparatus
Center
(architecture) A temporary structure upon which the materials of a vault or arch are supported in position until the work becomes self-supporting.
Center
(engineering) One of the two conical steel pins in a lathe, etc., upon which the work is held, and about which it revolves.
Center
(engineering) A conical recess or indentation in the end of a shaft or other work, to receive the point of a center, on which the work can turn, as in a lathe.
Center
The ring in the gambling game two-up in which the spinner operates.
Center
Of, at, or related to a center.
Center
(transitive) To cause (an object) to occupy the center of an area.
He centered the heading of the document.
Center
(transitive) To cause (some attribute, such as a mood or voltage) to be adjusted to a value which is midway between the extremes.
Center
(transitive) To give (something) a central basis.
Center
(intransitive) To concentrate on (something), to pay close attention to (something).
The plot centers on the life of a working-class family.
The discussion centered around the recent issues.
Center
(engineering) To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.
Center
A point equally distant from the extremities of a line, figure, or body, or from all parts of the circumference of a circle; the middle point or place.
Center
The middle or central portion of anything.
Center
A principal or important point of concentration; the nucleus around which things are gathered or to which they tend; an object of attention, action, or force; as, a center of attaction.
Center
The earth.
Center
Those members of a legislative assembly (as in France) who support the existing government. They sit in the middle of the legislative chamber, opposite the presiding officer, between the conservatives or monarchists, who sit on the right of the speaker, and the radicals or advanced republicans who occupy the seats on his left, See Right, and Left.
Center
A temporary structure upon which the materials of a vault or arch are supported in position until the work becomes self-supporting.
Center
One of the two conical steel pins, in a lathe, etc., upon which the work is held, and about which it revolves.
Center
To be placed in a center; to be central.
Center
To be collected to a point; to be concentrated; to rest on, or gather about, as a center.
Where there is no visible truth wherein to center, error is as wide as men's fancies.
Our hopes must center in ourselves alone.
Center
To place or fix in the center or on a central point.
Center
To collect to a point; to concentrate.
Thy joys are centered all in me alone.
Center
To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.
Center
An area that is approximately central within some larger region;
It is in the center of town
They ran forward into the heart of the struggle
They were in the eye of the storm
Center
The piece of ground in the outfield directly ahead of the catcher;
He hit the ball to deep center
Center
A building dedicated to a particular activity;
They were raising money to build a new center for research
Center
A point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure
Center
The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience;
The gist of the prosecutor's argument
The heart and soul of the Republican Party
The nub of the story
Center
The object upon which interest and attention focuses;
His stories made him the center of the party
Center
A cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process;
In most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere
Center
The middle of a military or naval formation;
They had to reinforce the center
Center
(basketball) the person who plays center on a basketball team
Center
(football) the person who plays center on the line of scrimmage and snaps the ball to the quarterback;
The center fumbled the handoff
Center
A place where some particular activity is concentrated;
They received messages from several centers
Center
Politically moderate persons; centrists
Center
(ice hockey) the person who plays center on a hockey team
Center
The sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering
Center
Mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area; a modern version of the traditional marketplace;
A good plaza should have a movie house
They spent their weekends at the local malls
Center
The position on a hockey team of the player who participates in the face off at the beginning of the game
Center
The position of the player on the line of scrimmage who puts the ball in play;
It is a center's responsibility to get the football to the quarterback
Center
A position on a basketball team of the player who participates in the center jump to start the game
Center
Center upon;
Her entire attention centered on her children
Our day revolved around our work
Center
Direct one's attention on something;
Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies
Center
Move into the center;
That vase in the picture is not centered
Center
Equally distant from the extremes
Center
Of or belonging to the political or intellectual right
Common Curiosities
Can a center also be called a facility?
Yes, in some contexts, such as a medical center, the terms can overlap; however, "center" often implies a more public, accessible aspect.
Are facilities always larger than centers?
While facilities can be larger due to their specialized functions, this is not always the case; size depends on the specific purpose and design.
Can a university be described as a facility or a center?
A university could be described as both, depending on context: it has facilities (like labs and lecture halls) and centers (like student centers or research centers).
What is the primary goal of a facility?
The primary goal is efficient operation and fulfillment of its specific functional requirements.
What makes a center different from a facility in terms of service?
Centers are typically more focused on community services and accessibility, while facilities might focus on operational efficiency and specialized tasks.
Why might someone prefer to use "center" over "facility"?
"Center" may be preferred to emphasize community involvement, openness, and accessibility.
What are the implications of referring to a place as a "facility" in terms of atmosphere?
Referring to a place as a "facility" might imply a more formal, possibly less welcoming atmosphere focused on function rather than community engagement.
Are there any contexts where the terms are interchangeable without changing the meaning?
In some administrative or institutional contexts, such as a "health facility" vs. "health center," the terms can be quite similar in meaning.
What are some examples where the choice between "facility" and "center" significantly affects understanding?
Describing a place where community meetings or social activities occur as a "facility" rather than a "center" could mislead about its purpose and atmosphere, suggesting a more restricted or specialized usage.
How does public access differ between a facility and a center?
Centers are generally more open to the public and designed for easy accessibility, while facilities may have restricted access due to their functions or security requirements.
What types of activities take place in a facility?
A facility may host specialized activities like manufacturing, scientific research, or high-level training.
Is a shopping mall considered a facility or a center?
It is most commonly referred to as a shopping center due to its role as a community gathering place and hub for commerce.
How should one decide which term to use when establishing a new place?
Consider the purpose: if it's for specialized operations or services with restricted access, "facility" might be appropriate; if it's for public engagement and services, "center" would be better.
Does the term "center" have a more positive connotation than "facility"?
Yes, "center" typically has a more positive connotation, associated with community, support, and accessibility.
How does the design of a facility differ from a center?
Facilities are designed for specific operations and efficiency, possibly with specialized equipment, whereas centers are designed for public use, comfort, and accessibility.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
