epicenter

noun

epi·​cen·​ter ˈe-pi-ˌsen-tər How to pronounce epicenter (audio)
1
: the part of the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake compare hypocenter sense 1
2
: center sense 2a
the epicenter of world finance
epicentral adjective

Did you know?

The meaning of epi- in epicenter is "over", so the epicenter of an earthquake lies over the center or "focus" of the quake. Epicenter can also refer to the centers of things that may seem in their own way as powerful—though not as destructive—as earthquakes. Wall Street, for example, might be said to lie at the epicenter of the financial world.

Examples of epicenter in a Sentence

by continually reinventing itself, Las Vegas has managed to remain a national epicenter for entertainment
Recent Examples on the Web The Catholic Church was an epicenter of Milwaukee's civil rights movement, supplying food, lodging, medical attention and a place for activists to gather during the marches. Journal Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2024 Surprising Fact Texas has been the epicenter of a historic late winter heat wave across the central and eastern U.S. that has shattered records. Brian Bushard, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Construction and tailoring was the epicenter of his business. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024 Minnesota is the epicenter of some of the season’s most unusual heat and missing snow. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 11 Feb. 2024 Both communities are about 45 miles from the epicenter. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024 The epicenter of the recent warmth has been the Upper Midwest, where long-standing temperature records have been broken recently. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024 Avdiivka had been an epicenter of fierce fighting for several months. Katya Soldak, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Texas and Florida have been the epicenters of America’s recent book-banning movement. Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'epicenter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin epicentrum, from epi- + Latin centrum center

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of epicenter was in 1880

Dictionary Entries Near epicenter

Cite this Entry

“Epicenter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epicenter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

epicenter

noun
epi·​cen·​ter ˈep-i-ˌsent-ər How to pronounce epicenter (audio)
: the part of the earth's surface directly above the starting point of an earthquake

More from Merriam-Webster on epicenter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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