focal point

noun

1. Also called principal focus. Optics.,  either of two points on the axis of a mirror, lens, or other optical system, one point being such that rays diverging from it are deviated parallel to the axis upon refraction or reflection by the system and the other point being such that rays parallel to the axis of the system converge to the point upon refraction or reflection by the system.

2. the point at which all elements or aspects converge; center of activity or attention.

   The focal point of our discussion was the need for action.

3. the central or principal point of focus.

focal point

noun

1. Also called: principal focus.  focus. the point on the axis of a lens or mirror to which parallel rays of light converge or from which they appear to diverge after refraction or reflection

2. a central point of attention or interest

focal point

1. The point at which all radiation coming from a single direction and passing through a lens or striking a mirror converges.

2. Also called focus

Word History and Origins

Origin of focal point¹

First recorded in 1705–15

Example Sentences

“Aside from the streaming business, a focal point for Disney investors over the next year is the cruiseline business,” Seaport analyst David Joyce wrote in a research note Tuesday.

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A grieving Serbian mother reached her 16th day of a hunger strike Monday, becoming a new focal point of the country's rumbling protest movement even as fears grow for her health.

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There was a time when Kupp was a focal point of the Rams offense, but he eventually receded a bit into the background as Puka Nacua began to ascend.

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The roads network is often the focal point of weather-related disruption and, in recent times, people have become used to the Met Office's colour-coded travel warnings.

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Call it “obsessive political preoccupation”—an obsessive-compulsive spectrum presentation in which a political figure becomes the focal point for intrusive thoughts, heightened arousal and compulsive monitoring.

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Related Words

• center of attention www.thesaurus.com
• centerpiece