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.
Synonyms
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
The decision faced by the nation’s second-largest school system is echoed at school systems across Los Angeles County, especially in Pasadena, which serves the Altadena community that was at the epicenter of the Eaton fire.
—
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
As college campuses have become the epicenter of the activist movement seeking to end U.S. military aid to Israel and cast Israeli actions in Gaza as a genocide, the ADL has assertively involved itself in hot-button debates about where to draw the line on free speech.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025
The morning quake also woke up residents in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu – about 140 miles from the epicenter – and sent them running out of their homes into the streets.
—Greg Norman, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
By the 1930s, Chicago was the global epicenter of pinball.
—Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 6 Jan. 2025
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Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
As college campuses have become the epicenter of the activist movement seeking to end U.S. military aid to Israel and cast Israeli actions in Gaza as a genocide, the ADL has assertively involved itself in hot-button debates about where to draw the line on free speech.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025
The morning quake also woke up residents in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu – about 140 miles from the epicenter – and sent them running out of their homes into the streets.
—Greg Norman, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2025
By the 1930s, Chicago was the global epicenter of pinball.
—Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for epicenter
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Cite this Entry
“Epicenter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epicenter. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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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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