initial focus

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   The main thing that someone pays attention to at the beginning of an activity or plan.

   Grammar: Often used with 'the' and followed by 'on': 'the initial focus on safety'. Can also stand alone: 'Our initial focus was wrong.'

   Patterns

   • the initial focus on something
   • initial focus on doing something
   • shift the initial focus

   The initial focus of the training was on speaking, not grammar.

   Our initial focus was getting the product to work at all.

   After the first month, the initial focus on speed gave way to quality.

2. 2noununcountabletechnical

   The first point that a camera, lens, or instrument is set to look at clearly.

   Grammar: Used in technical contexts about cameras and optical equipment; it names a setting rather than a countable object.

   Patterns

   • adjust the initial focus
   • set the initial focus

   The camera sets its initial focus on the center of the frame.

   You can change the initial focus before you start recording.

Common combinations

initial focus on

The initial focus on cost soon shifted to customer service.

the initial focus was

The initial focus was simply to survive the first year.

shift the initial focus

Management decided to shift the initial focus to training.

lose the initial focus

The team lost its initial focus and tried to do too much.

initial focus area

Reading is an initial focus area in the new curriculum.

Synonyms and how they differ

starting point

A 'starting point' is where something begins, while 'initial focus' is what you pay attention to at that beginning.

priority

A 'priority' is something treated as most important; an initial focus is only the first thing you attend to, and it may change.

Word family

focus verb

to direct attention or a lens toward something

focused adjective

giving clear attention to one thing

initially adverb

at the beginning; at first

Commonly confused: initial focus or final focus?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “initial focus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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