\centering

This declaration corresponds to the center environment. This declaration can be used inside an environment such as quote or in a parbox. The text of a figure or table can be centered on the page by putting a \centering command at the beginning of the figure or table environment.

Unlike the center environment, the \centering command does not start a new paragraph; it simply changes how LaTeX formats paragraph units. To affect a paragraph unit's format, the scope of the declaration must contain the blank line or \end command (of an environment like quote) that ends the paragraph unit.

Editor's note: although not listed as fragile in Lamport, I have found it necessary to use a \protect when putting a \centering command in a sectioning command.
For example,

  \section{\protect \centering Centered section heading}

See also Center environment
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