epicenter

American  

[ep-uh-sen-ter] / ˈɛp əˌsɛn tər /

especially British, epicentre

noun

1. Geology. Also a point, directly above the true center of disturbance, from which the shock waves of an earthquake apparently radiate.

2. a focal point, as of activity.

   Manhattan's Chinatown is the epicenter of the city's Chinese community.

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epicenter Scientific  

/ ĕp′ĭ-sĕn′tər /

1. 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.

2. See Note at earthquake

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Other Word Forms

• epicentral adjective

Etymology

Origin of epicenter

1885–90; < New Latin epicentrum < Greek epíkentros on the center. See epi-, center

Compare meaning

How does epicenter compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hypocenter vs. epicenter

Example Sentences

This year’s conference was attended by more than 24,000 people, who invaded San Diego earlier this month and made it the epicenter of the tech world.

From The Wall Street Journal

This summer, ProPublica journalists hiked and boated across Rubkona County, the epicenter of South Sudan’s outbreak and home to the country’s largest refugee camp, to interview families that the U.S. cut off from help.

From Salon

California, infamous for high housing costs, sits at the epicenter of the “teacher-village” trend.

From The Wall Street Journal

Cursor works out of North Beach, the historic Italian neighborhood with a bohemian flare that is decidedly separate from the AI epicenter in downtown San Francisco.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nvidia is still the world’s biggest stock, and it still sits at the epicenter of the world’s biggest technological revolution.

From Barron's

Related Words

• command post
• focal point
• headquarters
• hotbed