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
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.
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
In the midst of a raging malnutrition crisis Zamzam has long been at the epicenter of the malnutrition crisis in Sudan.
—
Avery Schmitz, Aleena Fayaz and Kaila Nichols, CNN, 14 Feb. 2025
Zelensky added that Norwegian diplomatic representatives were in the epicenter of the attack but avoided harm.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
The city was one of the epicenters of Syrian protests in 2011, protests that began peacefully but gave way to armed resistance after the government unleashed massive, lethal force on protest hubs across the country.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Jan. 2025
Johor is at the epicenter of the data center boom in Southeast Asia after Singapore imposed a three-year moratorium on new data center projects due to renewable energy and land constraints.
—Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epicenter
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Avery Schmitz, Aleena Fayaz and Kaila Nichols, CNN, 14 Feb. 2025
Zelensky added that Norwegian diplomatic representatives were in the epicenter of the attack but avoided harm.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
The city was one of the epicenters of Syrian protests in 2011, protests that began peacefully but gave way to armed resistance after the government unleashed massive, lethal force on protest hubs across the country.
—Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Jan. 2025
Johor is at the epicenter of the data center boom in Southeast Asia after Singapore imposed a three-year moratorium on new data center projects due to renewable energy and land constraints.
—Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for epicenter
Articles Related to epicenter
Cite this Entry
“Epicenter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epicenter. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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