epicentre

British  

/ ˈɛpɪˌsɛntə /

noun

1. the point on the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake or underground nuclear explosion Compare focus

2. informal  the absolute centre of something

   the epicentre of world sprinting

---

Other Word Forms

• epicentral adjective

Etymology

Origin of epicentre

C19: from New Latin epicentrum, from Greek epikentros over the centre, from _epi- + kentron needle; see _centre

Example Sentences

"This could be the worst clash between the two groups since they began attacking each other," said Saddiku, who lives in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, the epicentre of the insurgency.

From Barron's

Africa’s Sahel, which stretches from Senegal to Sudan, has become the “global epicentre of terrorism,” says the Institute for Economics and Peace.

From The Wall Street Journal

"They're in shock still, and traumatised. And can you imagine the children who are in the epicentre of it? It feels like you're in the Middle Ages."

From BBC

He said the 18-month siege of el-Fasher - and the surrounding North Darfur region - have been an epicentre of suffering, with malnutrition, disease and violence claiming lives every day.

From BBC

The city is one of the worst battlegrounds of Sudan's civil war, leading the UN to call it an "epicentre of suffering".

From BBC