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 situated roughly 4 miles west-northwest of Bayview-Montalvin and occurred at a depth of just 4 miles. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 6 Jan. 2026

Colombia is considered the epicenter of the world’s cocaine trade. —Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026

The Great Plains, including parts of Texas, has become an epicenter for severe storm activity, according to a new report. —Lana Ferguson, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026

Minnesota became an epicenter for Somalis in the early 1990s when the Somali government collapsed and the East African country erupted in violence. —Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 4 Jan. 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