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

• axis
• base
• capital
• center
• central
• core
• cynosure
• eye
• focus
• ground zero
• heart
• hub
• locus
• mecca
• navel
• nerve center
• nexus
• nucleus
• omphalos
• seat

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 waterway would make Chicago the epicenter of trade in the Midwest, and speculators bought up parcels then resold them for enormous profit. —Andrew Johnston, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2024

There are countless wine bars; Copenhagen is the natural wine epicenter of Europe. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2024

Critically, Chinese military planes routinely patrol the Taiwan Strait, the epicenter of competition between China and the United States. —Jane Perlez, Foreign Affairs, 5 July 2024

China, for its part, also reiterated its claims over the waterway, including the Second Thomas Shoal, which has emerged as an epicenter of the dispute. —Cliff Venzon and Andreo Calonzo / Bloomberg, TIME, 3 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin epicentrum, from epi- + Latin centrum center

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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