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focal

adjective
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fo·​cal | \ ˈfō-kəl How to pronounce focal (audio) \

Definition of focal

: of, relating to, being, or having a focus
Other Words from focal Example Sentences Learn More about focal

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Other Words from focal

focally \ ˈfō-​kə-​lē How to pronounce focally (audio) \ adverb

Examples of focal in a Sentence

a focal figure in the movement
Recent Examples on the Web Education, gun violence prevention and health care were focal issues of Hasmi's campaign, and the Senate-elect for Virginia's 10th district often criticized Stutevant for his vote against Medicaid expansion. — NBC News, "Tucson elects first Latina mayor and other historic Election Day wins," 6 Nov. 2019 Created with style and livability in mind, these designs aren't meant to be focal pieces of the room or something that stands out. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent's New Sofas Are the Perfect Nap Spot," 13 Sep. 2019 The two giants are similarly focal and similarly efficient. — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, "Top 100 NBA Players of 2020," 12 Sep. 2019 Young is already the focal leader of the defense, but his role in Smith development is much more hands-on. — Stephen Means, cleveland.com, "Chase Young has taken on the big brother role with Tyreke Smith who Ohio State football’s next elite pass rusher," 12 Sep. 2019 The revelation of Elizabeth’s abuse of Bonnie via flashbacks is detached from the other focal arcs of the season. — Shamira Ibrahim, The Atlantic, "Will Big Little Lies Finally Show Up for Bonnie?," 21 July 2019 They have been been focal areas for investment and activities to promote biodiversity conservation for nearly 20 years. — Robin Chazdon, Quartz Africa, "Scientists are mapping out how to restore tropical rainforests around the world," 7 July 2019 As leaders of both parties make clear in their calls for candidates, school facilities and academic achievement have been focal issues in town. — Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, "Manchester major party leaders taking different approaches to find candidates for fall ballot," 18 June 2019 Some modern lenses can provide a range of focal distances, for example, although there are normally trade-offs, such as halos around bright lights or a slight sacrifice of sharpness. — Daniel Akst, WSJ, "What Doctors Don’t Tell You About Cataract Surgery," 16 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'focal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of focal

1676, in the meaning defined above

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Statistics for focal

Last Updated

12 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for focal

The first known use of focal was in 1676

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More Definitions for focal

focal

adjective
How to pronounce focal (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of focal

: having central or great importance

See the full definition for focal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

focal

adjective
fo·​cal | \ ˈfō-kəl How to pronounce focal (audio) \

Kids Definition of focal

1 : of, relating to, or having a focus
2 : having central or great importance She is a focal character in the story.

focal

adjective
fo·​cal | \ ˈfō-kəl How to pronounce focal (audio) \

Medical Definition of focal

: of, relating to, being, or having a focus

Other Words from focal

focally \ -​kə-​lē How to pronounce focally (audio) \ adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on focal

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with focal

Spanish Central: Translation of focal

Nglish: Translation of focal for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of focal for Arabic Speakers

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