epicentre

British  

/ ˈɛpɪˌsɛntə /

noun

1. the point on the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake or underground nuclear explosion Compare focus

2. informal the absolute centre of something

   the epicentre of world sprinting

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Other Word Forms

• epicentral adjective

Etymology

Origin of epicentre

C19: from New Latin epicentrum, from Greek epikentros over the centre, from _epi- + kentron needle; see _centre

Example Sentences

These border districts have become the epicentre of the controversy, where most exclusions occurred in the final phase - under the "logical discrepancy" category.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

The epicentre of this outbreak is believed to be Club Chemistry in Canterbury, according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

Another European military source, also speaking anonymously, said conducting the attack far from the conflict's epicentre was a "show of force aimed at major rivals" such as China and Russia.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

There's a huge amount of investment going into this technology and although Silicon Valley is once again an epicentre, it is facing tough competition from Chinese rivals.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2026

The method employed by him for the purpose is no less simple theoretically than that used for locating the epicentre.

From A Study of Recent Earthquakes by Davison, Charles