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 approximately 14 miles east-northeast of San Ardo and occurred above sea level. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 18 Mar. 2026

As Utah emerged as the epicenter of an internal GOP conflict over AI regulation, two groups with considerable links to progressive politics were quietly stoking the flames. —Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026

The epicenter was on the Calaveras Fault, about 5 miles northeast of Gilroy and 10 miles southeast of Morgan Hill. —Tim Fang, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026

California, the epicenter of our car culture, has the highest gas tax at 89 cents per gallon. —Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 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