epicenter

noun

epi·​cen·​ter ˈe-pi-ˌsen-tər 

1

: the part of the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake compare hypocenter sense 1

2

: center sense 2a

the epicenter of world finance

epicentral

ˌe-pi-ˈsen-trəl 

adjective

Did you know?

The meaning of epi- in epicenter is "over", so the epicenter of an earthquake lies over the center or "focus" of the quake. Epicenter can also refer to the centers of things that may seem in their own way as powerful—though not as destructive—as earthquakes. Wall Street, for example, might be said to lie at the epicenter of the financial world.

Synonyms

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

Examples of epicenter in a Sentence

by continually reinventing itself, Las Vegas has managed to remain a national epicenter for entertainment

Recent Examples on the Web

While there is much AI research and development worldwide, Silicon Valley has again emerged as the epicenter of the next big thing in tech. —Tim Bajarin, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Arizona was an epicenter for false claims of election fraud in 2020. —Abc News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024

But in New Jersey’s Tewksbury township—the epicenter of the magnitude 4.8 quake—residents barely felt any shaking at all. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024

Hundreds of thousands of Georgians poured through the thousands of polling locations across its 159 counties, including in Fulton County, the epicenter of former President Donald Trump’s claims that election fraud in the region cost him the state and the entire 2020 election. —Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin epicentrum, from epi- + Latin centrum center

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

epicenter

noun

epi·​cen·​ter ˈep-i-ˌsent-ər 

: the part of the earth's surface directly above the starting point of an earthquake