Wiktionary
n. the countries of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey (or the Ottoman Empire) and Bulgaria who fought against the Allies in World War I
Wikipedia
The Central Powers (; ; ; ), consisting of Germany, , the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria – hence also known as the Quadruple Alliance – was one of the two main factions during World War I (1914–18). It faced and was defeated by the Allied Powers that had formed around the Triple Entente, after which it was dissolved.
The Powers' origin was the alliance of Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1879. The Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria did not join until after World War I had begun.
Usage examples of "central powers".
Italy entered the war against Austria in 1915, and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers in the October of that year.
I mean the Central Powers to return from a war-time to a peace-time basis?
Trade with the Central Powers declined from $169 million in 1914 to $1 million in 1916, and during the same period trade with the Allies rose from $824 million to $3 billion.
Knowledge of quantum mechanics does not help one understand why introduced placental predators have exterminated so many Australian marsupial species, or why the Allied Powers rather than the Central Powers won World War I.
Then in the late fall it began to be apparent that we were gaining on the Central Powers.
Argensola was hating the banks even more than the Central Powers, distinguishing with special antipathy the trust company which was delaying payment of Julio’.