focal
Americanadjective
adjective
-
of or relating to a focus
-
situated at, passing through, or measured from the focus
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of focal
From the New Latin word focālis, dating back to 1685–95. See focus, -al 1
Vocabulary lists containing focal
Part 3 Vocabulary (Unit 2)
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Vocabulary from Readings, Part 3
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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.
"I think with leave to remain and the refugees, the hub is a focal point so we could have hundreds through the doors," said Lyle.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
"This has really been the focal point of the British Bangladeshi community," local councillor Faysal Ahmed told AFP, recalling a time when his parents ran a restaurant beneath his childhood home in the Lane.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
“This is a very specific focal point for a general anxiety about AI,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
These giant computer campuses, which are mostly void of human beings, have become a focal point of the growing revolt against an increasingly predatory tech industry.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
Nevertheless, the Burr-Hamilton duel helped turn the tide against the practice of dueling by providing a focal point for its critics and serving as a dramatic object lesson of its self-destructive character.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
