Meaning & use

epicenter

noun·Academic

The point on the earth's surface directly above where an earthquake begins, or the central point of something.

See it in a sentence

The epicenter of the earthquake was located just off the coast near the fishing village.

The small college town became the epicenter of the state's growing tech industry.

A note on using this word

Epicenter is often used loosely to mean the center of any event, though its strict scientific sense refers to earthquakes.

Words with a similar meaning

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