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
A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: "London is at the epicentre of the national homelessness crisis. We see this every day on the front line and sadly Alicia's case is not untypical."
From BBC • Apr. 22, 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
Another European military source, also speaking anonymously, said conducting the attack far from the conflict's epicentre was a "show of force aimed at major rivals" such as China and Russia.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
In the Hereford earthquake, the sound-area contained 70,000 square miles; in the Neapolitan earthquake, about 3,300 square miles; while, in Japanese earthquakes, the sound is rarely heard more than a few miles from the epicentre.
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.
