locus

noun

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lo·cus | \ ˈlō-kəs

plural loci\ ˈlō-ˌsī

, -ˌkī , -ˌkē \

Definition of locus

1a : 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 More Example Sentences Learn More about locus

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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 Agua Caliente band of Cahuilla Native Americans who once populated Palm Springs in great number considered the Tahquitz Canyon a locus of great spiritual importance. — Sunset Magazine, "A Local’s Guide to Palm Springs," 29 Dec. 2020 Dating back to the days of the late Roy Leonard, the show long has been a locus for arts and entertainment coverage. — Chicago Tribune Staff, chicagotribune.com, "Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 9,420 new COVID-19 cases and 190 additional fatalities reported, as state passes 14,000 deaths and Chicago-area hospitals get ready for vaccine," 11 Dec. 2020 The West Coast also was the locus for the hottest digital theater company in the land. — Washington Post, "Best theater of 2020: Sondheim’s birthday, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ Mary Neely, ‘The Amen Corner’ and more," 9 Dec. 2020 Local sachemships were the locus of people’s daily lives and the most stable political unit, whereas the paramount sachemship was a regional confederation that ebbed and flowed according to shared needs and strong, charismatic leaders. — National Geographic, "Massasoit's strategic diplomacy kept peace with the Pilgrims for decades," 19 Nov. 2020 Bucking convention, Trump’s son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, established an independent locus of power inside the West Wing. — Michael Scherer, Anchorage Daily News, "Biden picks Klain as chief of staff, signaling end of Trump-era chaos," 12 Nov. 2020 For several years, activists in Minneapolis have identified the city’s park system as a locus of, and a possible solution to, injustices within and around communities. — Gili Ostfield, The New Republic, "Ten Moves, Two Tents, and Five Months of a Housing Reckoning in Minneapolis," 30 Oct. 2020 The stakes were clear this past weekend as the White House became the locus for a second outbreak of the virus in a month. — Arkansas Online, "Trump charges into battleground states despite rising virus," 26 Oct. 2020 The stakes were clear this weekend as the White House became the locus for a second outbreak of the virus in a month. — Zeke Miller And Alexandra Jaffe, chicagotribune.com, "Trump, Biden hitting battleground states in campaigns’ final full week," 26 Oct. 2020

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.