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 situated approximately 5 miles east-northeast of Pinnacles, at a depth of 4 miles. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Dec. 2025

Hard Rock Stadium's soccer history This is not the first time that Hard Rock Stadium was at the epicenter of international soccer. —Hunter Geisel, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025

What To Know The USGS reported that the quake’s epicenter was located about 56 miles from Yakutat, a community with a population of around 660 people, and roughly 230 miles northwest of Juneau. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025

For years, Idaho’s second-largest city has been trying to build a name for itself as the state’s medical epicenter. —Rose Evans december 4, Idaho Statesman, 5 Dec. 2025

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