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
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Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of epicenter
1885–90; < New Latin epicentrum < Greek epíkentros on the center. See epi-, center
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Explanation
Earthquakes start deep underground, and the epicenter is the central location of the earthquake, the point of land right above where an earthquake begins. When violent movement happens beneath the Earth’s surface, earthquakes send out destructive waves of vibration, sort of like ripples after you throw a rock into a lake. The epicenter is the place on the surface where those ripples start. The Greek epikentros means “situated on a center,” and that’s where you’ll find the epicenter, dead center in an earthquake’s destruction. Of course, you don’t really want to find it, because it’s kind of dangerous there.
Vocabulary lists containing epicenter
Brace Yourself: Earthquake Words
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Super Seismic: Words for Volcanoes and Earthquakes
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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 for both was near the town of Yamure, about 200 miles west of Caracas, according to the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
With over $220 million in deals since 2025, Meadow Lane has become the epicenter of the East End’s market revival.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Yet an issue far removed from the conflict’s epicenter may end up being the biggest obstacle to any treaty: Lebanon.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
“And judging by Monday’s price action, this is certainly not looking like a bundle of joy for Korean investors waking up to find their market at the epicenter of the global AI unwind.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
A good five minutes must have passed before I felt strong enough to reach up and touch the pain’s epicenter on my right temple.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
