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
Whereas previous metal pollution records extracted their silt, or evidence from areas far from their sources— upland peat cores or mountain and polar glaciers, Cambridge specifies –the most recent data comes from the epicenter of production, a paleochannel of the River Ure, Cambridge explains.
—
Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025
The epicenter was located approximately 11 miles west of Ferndale, at a depth of 10 miles.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2025
For instance, the show, like its predecessor, is set in the epicenter of a dying business in a fading midsize industrial city.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Los Angeles was the epicenter of K-pop’s next evolution this week as Galaxy Corporation hosted its first-ever auditions for a virtual K-pop group at the El Rey Theatre.
—Kristine Kwak, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epicenter
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Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025
The epicenter was located approximately 11 miles west of Ferndale, at a depth of 10 miles.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2025
For instance, the show, like its predecessor, is set in the epicenter of a dying business in a fading midsize industrial city.
—Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Los Angeles was the epicenter of K-pop’s next evolution this week as Galaxy Corporation hosted its first-ever auditions for a virtual K-pop group at the El Rey Theatre.
—Kristine Kwak, Billboard, 12 Sep. 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 15 Sep. 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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