plural loci
ˈlō-ˌsī 
-ˌkī,
-ˌkē
1
b
: a center of activity, attention, or concentration
in democracy the locus of power is in the people—
H. G. Rickover
H. G. Rickover2
: the set of all points whose location is determined by stated conditions
3
: the position in a chromosome of a particular gene or allele
Synonyms
Examples of locus in a Sentence
The area became a locus of resistance to the government.
an area of the Southwest that has been the locus of a number of New Agey movements
Recent Examples on the Web
The sublime concert and subsequent applause reverberated throughout the circular locus, a moving finale after which guests flowed out to Fifth Avenue with art and music on their minds.
—Zachary Schwartz, Vogue, 16 Nov. 2023
As Snowman sees it, the lighthouse was an underappreciated hero of the Revolutionary War—a locus of resistance against British tyranny.
—Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
Following Julius Caesar’s murder in 44 B.C.E., the Roman emperor Augustus condemned the scene of the crime as a locus sceleratus, a cursed place.
—Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2023
What was the locus of community for you, growing up?
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2023
The museum and its arts school, the Corcoran College of Art + Design, were a locus of D.C. cultural life, patronized by presidents and the city’s political elite, and engaged with critical social and artistic currents, including the culture wars of the 1980s and ’90s.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023
There is nothing by Richard Diebenkorn, Ed Ruscha or Wayne Thiebaud, artists associated with California — a coequal locus of creativity to New York and the East Coast — who project a sensibility distinctly different from that cultivated in New York.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
As a result, the northeast San Fernando Valley has become as important a locus of Latino political power as the Eastside.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023
The house, known as the Dickinson Homestead, and its contents—every sherry glass, quilt, and doll’s slipper—were the locus of her imagination.
—Martha Ackmann, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2023
See More
Zachary Schwartz, Vogue, 16 Nov. 2023
As Snowman sees it, the lighthouse was an underappreciated hero of the Revolutionary War—a locus of resistance against British tyranny.
—Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
Following Julius Caesar’s murder in 44 B.C.E., the Roman emperor Augustus condemned the scene of the crime as a locus sceleratus, a cursed place.
—Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2023
What was the locus of community for you, growing up?
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2023
The museum and its arts school, the Corcoran College of Art + Design, were a locus of D.C. cultural life, patronized by presidents and the city’s political elite, and engaged with critical social and artistic currents, including the culture wars of the 1980s and ’90s.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023
There is nothing by Richard Diebenkorn, Ed Ruscha or Wayne Thiebaud, artists associated with California — a coequal locus of creativity to New York and the East Coast — who project a sensibility distinctly different from that cultivated in New York.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
As a result, the northeast San Fernando Valley has become as important a locus of Latino political power as the Eastside.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023
The house, known as the Dickinson Homestead, and its contents—every sherry glass, quilt, and doll’s slipper—were the locus of her imagination.
—Martha Ackmann, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'locus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing locus
Dictionary Entries Near locus
Cite this Entry
“Locus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/locus. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
Medical Definition
locus
noun
lo·cus
ˈlō-kəs
plural loci
ˈlō-ˌsī, -ˌkī also -ˌkē
1
: a place or site of an event, activity, or thing
the integrity of the tissues determines the extent and locus of the damage—Sylvia E. Hines
Sylvia E. Hines2
: the position in a chromosome of a particular gene or allele
Legal Definition
locus
noun
lo·cus
ˈlō-kəs
: the place connected with a particular event having legal significance
More from Merriam-Webster on locus
Nglish: Translation of locus for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of locus for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share