locus

noun

lo·​cus ˈlō-kəs 

plural loci ˈlō-ˌsī 

-ˌkī,

-ˌkē

1

a

: the place where something is situated or occurs : site, location

was the culture of medicine in the beginning dispersed from a single focus or did it arise in several loci?

—S. C. Harvey

b

: a center of activity, attention, or concentration

in democracy the locus of power is in the people

—H. G. Rickover

2

: 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

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

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

That is why, at Riyadh’s insistence, the locus of international oil production negotiations has shifted from OPEC to OPEC+, which includes Russia and other non-OPEC producers. —F. Gregory Gause Iii, Foreign Affairs, 2 Aug. 2024

Stereophonic takes place entirely within the locus of any band’s creative life: the studio. —Elise Hannum, The Atlantic, 20 June 2024

Editors’ Picks Bill Walton’s Long, Special Relationship With the Grateful Dead The locus of activity on Friday was just blocks from the Plaza, at Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, the gaudy fulcrum of Mr. Trump’s real-estate empire. —Ben Shpigel, New York Times, 31 May 2024

First, the team found 12 loci, or locations in the genome, that showed a significant association with breast cancer. —Angus Chen, STAT, 21 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin — more at stall

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing locus

• locus ceruleus
• locus classicus
• locus coeruleus

Kids Definition

locus

noun

lo·​cus ˈlō-kəs 

plural loci ˈlō-ˌsī 

-ˌkī,

-ˌkē

1

: place entry 1 sense 3a, locality

2

: the set of all points whose location is determined by stated conditions

3

: the position in a chromosome of a particular gene or allele

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

2

: 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