focal
Americanadjective
adjective
-
of or relating to a focus
-
situated at, passing through, or measured from the focus
Other Word Forms
- focally adverb
Etymology
Origin of focal
From the New Latin word focālis, dating back to 1685–95. See focus, -al 1
Vocabulary lists containing focal
Part 3 Vocabulary (Unit 2)
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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.
This time, Warner Judd got an answer when she was diagnosed with focal epilepsy, meaning her seizures typically start in one side of the brain and cause unusual feelings, sensations or movements.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Earnings season has also become a focal point, as quarterly results dominate headlines and investors tend to make trading decisions based on short-term news.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
Bigger parking decks are often a focal point of the action, they said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
AFP journalists saw one of the biggest rallies in the capital in years converge on Plaza de Mayo, the city's traditional focal point and home to the Casa Rosada presidential complex.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
While accumulating a vast fortune in his native Canada, Stewart had become the focal point of a business scandal.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
