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

• axis
• base
• capital
• center
• central
• core
• cynosure
• eye
• focus
• ground zero
• heart
• hub
• locus
• mecca
• navel
• nerve center
• nexus
• nucleus
• omphalos
• seat

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 city’s famous River Arts District — the epicenter for a town that’s long been a haven for musicians an artists — was completely wiped out. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2024

The conflict’s effects are magnified because the region is the epicenter of oil production, and oil is, well, literally the fuel for the global economy. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2024

Ever since Trump falsely claimed that Haitian migrants in the city were eating pets during last month’s presidential debate, and Vance amplified the online rumors, the city has become the epicenter of the immigration debate in the U.S. —Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024

Those earthquakes had an epicenter close to the 60 Freeway’s Archibald Avenue exit. —Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin epicentrum, from epi- + Latin centrum center

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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