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 earthquake's epicenter was about 10 miles northwest of Westmorland and occurred at a depth of 2 miles. — Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026

Already the epicenter for brick-and-mortar purveyors of luxury, Beverly Hills has a new addition to its litany of A-list ateliers, the Mercedes-Benz Studio Los Angeles. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 24 July 2026

Accordingly, colleges and universities have become epicenters of online culture. — Avery Stone, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026

Armed conflict has plagued the epicenter of the outbreak, Ituri province, for more than 30 years, and more than 900,000 people there live in displacement camps. — Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 23 July 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
• dissenter
• frequenter
• 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