epicenter

noun

epi·​cen·​ter ˈe-pi-ˌsen-tər 

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

ˌe-pi-ˈsen-trəl 

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.

Synonyms of epicenter

• center
• mecca
• hub
• capital

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 epicenter was about 11 miles southeast of Silver Springs, at a depth of 6 miles. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026

With the epicenter at a depth of over 112 miles, the quake was felt across a wide swathe of Afghanistan and Pakistan. —Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2026

Back home, Greenfield, Ind., the town that knew him when, and The Depot are the epicenter of the Mullins’ Miracle Mania. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026

The perfect place to make every day a getaway Vi at Aventura offers easy, elevated living in the epicenter of South Florida. —Vi At Aventura, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin epicentrum, from epi- + Latin centrum center

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for epicenter

• multicenter
• center
• centre
• enter
• renter
• stentor
• tenter
• dissenter
• indenter
• inventor
• precentor
• preventer

Kids Definition

epicenter

noun

epi·​cen·​ter ˈep-i-ˌsent-ər 

: the part of the earth's surface directly above the starting point of an earthquake