epicentre
Britishnoun
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the point on the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake or underground nuclear explosion Compare focus
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informal the absolute centre of something
the epicentre of world sprinting
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of epicentre
C19: from New Latin epicentrum, from Greek epikentros over the centre, from epi- + kentron needle; see centre
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.
Nigerian military spokesman Sani Uba said al-Minuki had established a "concealed and fortified enclave" at a remote village in the Borno State in the northeast, the epicentre of a 17-year armed insurgency.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
The governor of Borno state, the epicentre of Nigeria's 17-year-long jihadist insurgency, said the government shut the market down five years ago.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
These border districts have become the epicentre of the controversy, where most exclusions occurred in the final phase - under the "logical discrepancy" category.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
The epicentre of this outbreak is believed to be Club Chemistry in Canterbury, according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
At Potenza, which is not far from the same epicentre but a few miles outside the meizoseismal area, the separation was more pronounced.
From A Study of Recent Earthquakes by Davison, Charles
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.
