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 located roughly 2 miles west of Glen Ellen and occurred above sea level. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Dec. 2025

In Brazil and elsewhere, Brito and her colleagues are exploring this disconnect between the official end of a disaster and the ongoing reality for those at the epicenter of the hardship. —Ari Daniel, NPR, 29 Nov. 2025

Its epicenter was located 7 miles west-northwest of Susitna, Alaska. —Arkansas Online, 28 Nov. 2025

Thursday’s quakes were about 12 miles south of the Gilroy epicenter of three that struck on Wednesday, the largest of them also 4.0. —Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 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