epicenter
noun
epi·cen·ter
ˈe-pi-ˌsen-tər 
1
: the part of the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake compare hypocenter sense 1
2
: center sense 2a
the epicenter of world finance
Did you know?
The meaning of epi- in epicenter is "over", so the epicenter of an earthquake lies over the center or "focus" of the quake. Epicenter can also refer to the centers of things that may seem in their own way as powerful—though not as destructive—as earthquakes. Wall Street, for example, might be said to lie at the epicenter of the financial world.
Examples of epicenter in a Sentence
by continually reinventing itself, Las Vegas has managed to remain a national epicenter for entertainment
Recent Examples on the Web
The epicenter was located roughly 23 miles west of Petrolia, at a depth of 10 miles.
—
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina (the epicenter of the outbreak), South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Exactly what the mine was being used for has not been detailed by authorities, but Tuolumne County is one of the epicenters of the historic California Gold Rush.
—Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Kehlani’s performance was the culmination of an afternoon and evening of the San Jose City Hall’s transformation into the epicenter of a music festival celebrating a diverse array of talented Bay Area artists and musicians.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for epicenter
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina (the epicenter of the outbreak), South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Exactly what the mine was being used for has not been detailed by authorities, but Tuolumne County is one of the epicenters of the historic California Gold Rush.
—Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Kehlani’s performance was the culmination of an afternoon and evening of the San Jose City Hall’s transformation into the epicenter of a music festival celebrating a diverse array of talented Bay Area artists and musicians.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for epicenter
Cite this Entry
“Epicenter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epicenter. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
epicenter
noun
epi·cen·ter
ˈep-i-ˌsent-ər
: the part of the earth's surface directly above the starting point of an earthquake
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
