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
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.
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 12 miles west of Isla Vista, at a depth of 4 miles.
—
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 Nov. 2025
The 44 positive cases as of Wednesday translates to a rate of four per 10,000 inmates — the same as that of California, one of the epicenters of the outbreak of the coronavirus in the United States.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
It’s been roughly a year and three months since the 31-year-old mother of three became the epicenter of Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
Downtown Nassau’s Bay Street is the epicenter of celebrations across the country.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epicenter
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Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 Nov. 2025
The 44 positive cases as of Wednesday translates to a rate of four per 10,000 inmates — the same as that of California, one of the epicenters of the outbreak of the coronavirus in the United States.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
It’s been roughly a year and three months since the 31-year-old mother of three became the epicenter of Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
Downtown Nassau’s Bay Street is the epicenter of celebrations across the country.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epicenter
Cite this Entry
“Epicenter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epicenter. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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