"distribute or take away from a center," 1840 (implied in decentralized), perhaps a back-formation from decentralization. Related: Decentralizing.
Entries linking to decentralize
decentralization n.
"act or principle of removing local or special functions of government from immediate control of central authority," 1839, from de- + centralization. Decentralisation is attested by 1835 in German, in reference to France, but the word does not seem to appear in French before the earliest English dates.