epicenter
Americannoun
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Geology. Also a point, directly above the true center of disturbance, from which the shock waves of an earthquake apparently radiate.
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a focal point, as of activity.
Manhattan's Chinatown is the epicenter of the city's Chinese community.
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The point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the focus (the point of origin) of an earthquake. The epicenter is usually the location where the greatest damage associated with an earthquake occurs.
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See Note at earthquake
Other Word Forms
- epicentral adjective
Etymology
Origin of epicenter
1885–90; < New Latin epicentrum < Greek epíkentros on the center. See epi-, center
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The epicenter was located near Mandalay, the country's second-largest city.
From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026
The numbers for the year through June 2025 indicate the effects of a big immigration slowdown, fewer people bailing on America’s tech epicenter, a modest Midwest rebound and the rising appeal for small southern metros.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the epicenter of the region’s logistics industry, supporting more than 200,000 jobs and contributing $28 billion to the regional economy in 2022.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
The fictional London investment bank was the epicenter of the show’s universe, the place where deals were made and trust was broken.
From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026
Sendai, a large city close to the epicenter, was hit by the full force of the quake, but all of Honshu felt it.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
