locus

play

noun lo·cus \ ˈlō-kəs \

Definition of locus

plural loci play \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

See locus defined for English-language learners

See locus defined for kids

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 of locus from the Web

Business practices, such as locus of decision making, pace of business, formality of interactions, dining, entertaining and gift-giving could be to!

— mark fadden, star-telegram, "In Pursuit of Profession: Well Excuuuuseeee Me!," 20 Aug. 2017
These organizations, along with artist-friendly studios in the old Central State Mansion building, suggest the property might be poised to become a new locus for Indy’s creative class.

— emily udell, Indianapolis Star, "More people are living and designing in this old Indy mental hospital site," 20 Aug. 2017
This statue, which was the locus of all the weekend’s attention, remained seemingly unperturbed.

— sarah ellison, The Hive, "Why Charlottesville, Liberal College Town, Became Ground Zero for White Supremacy," 15 Aug. 2017
Anti-Semitism is racist, and the Nazi Party is a locus classicus of anti-Semitism.

— john e. mcintyre, baltimoresun.com, "First time tragedy, second time farce," 14 Aug. 2017
The film’s emotional locus is Anna, who, of the two, is the most troubled and dissatisfied and is the most in touch with her grief and disappointment.

— mick lasalle, kansascity, "‘Band Aid’ an insightful comedy about a strained marriage," 13 July 2017
Breitbart soon became the locus of pro-Trump, anti-Fox conservative anger.

— joshua green, Daily Intelligencer, "Steve Bannon Is Out of Trump’s Doghouse and Leading the Charge Against Mueller," 9 July 2017
But Koduri had come to believe that other platforms might displace mobile as the locus for innovation in chipmaking.

— aaron pressman, Fortune, "Chipmaker AMD Makes a Big Bet on Brand-New Tech," 28 June 2017
In Syria the locus of fighting has shifted deep into the desert as Russia and Iran--sponsors of Syrian President Bashar Assad--confront the U.S.-led coalition in a war zone of extraordinary complexity.

— karl vick, Time, "Trump's Great Faith In the Military Does Not a Strategy Make," 22 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of locus

Latin — more at stall

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1648

See Words from the same year

locus Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

headquarters; happy hunting ground, hive, hotbed, hot spot, playground, playland; kernel, nub, pith; deep, thick; essence, quintessence, soul; attraction, lodestone (also loadstone), magnet, polestar

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

LOCUS Defined for English Language Learners

locus

play

noun

Definition of locus for English Language Learners

: a central or main place where something happens or is found

Medical Dictionary

locus

play

noun lo·cus \ ˈlō-kəs \

medical Definition of locus

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

Law Dictionary

locus

play

noun lo·cus \ ˈlō-kəs \

legal Definition of locus

:the place connected with a particular event having legal significance

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See words that rhyme with locus Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for locus Nglish: Translation of locus for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of locus for Arabic speakers

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Examples of locus in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of locus

locus Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

LOCUS Defined for English Language Learners

locus

Definition of locus for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

locus

medical Definition of locus

Law Dictionary

locus

legal Definition of locus

Learn More about locus

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