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

Miami was at the epicenter of the the pope’s 1987 11-day, nine-city tour of the United States, for which 21,000 journalists applied for credentials. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025

The epicenter was about 2.7 miles southwest of Malibu Point. —Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025

San Sebastian is in the heart of Northern Spain’s Basque region, a melting pot of the distinctive local cuisine and a world epicenter of molecular gastronomy. —Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025

Even more improbable: the epicenter of this new scene is Pimentel’s pizza joint (and Colbo, a nearby coffee shop), where the friends gather to geek out over timepieces from Audemars Piguet, Piaget, IWC, and Patek Philippe. —Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin epicentrum, from epi- + Latin centrum center

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for epicenter

• multicenter
• center
• centre
• enter
• renter
• stentor
• tenter
• dissenter
• indenter
• inventor
• precentor
• preventer

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