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
Los Angeles is still the epicenter of protest and unrest following the White House mandate to ramp up deportations of people in the country illegally.
—
/ Cbs News, CBS News, 15 June 2025
Protests also broke out in Los Angeles, the epicenter of the country’s attention, after unrest and curfews followed ICE raids in the city on Friday.
—Rudy Chinchilla, NBC news, 12 June 2025
That date is widely anticipated to be the epicenter of transaction season for many teams around the league, spurred by a bubbling trade market and a relatively dormant free-agent class.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 June 2025
The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre shared a map on X, formerly Twitter, showing the epicenter of the quake that USGS said occurred at a depth of about 6 miles.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for epicenter
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/ Cbs News, CBS News, 15 June 2025
Protests also broke out in Los Angeles, the epicenter of the country’s attention, after unrest and curfews followed ICE raids in the city on Friday.
—Rudy Chinchilla, NBC news, 12 June 2025
That date is widely anticipated to be the epicenter of transaction season for many teams around the league, spurred by a bubbling trade market and a relatively dormant free-agent class.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 June 2025
The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre shared a map on X, formerly Twitter, showing the epicenter of the quake that USGS said occurred at a depth of about 6 miles.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for epicenter
Cite this Entry
“Epicenter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epicenter. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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
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