Everyday · Often misused · Science & thinking
Epicentre: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Epicentre noun. The point on the earth's surface directly above where an earthquake begins.
How to say it
EP-ih-sen-tuh/ˈɛpɪsɛntə/
4 syllables, stressed on the first (EP).
Meanings
- The point on the earth's surface directly above where an earthquake begins.
- The centre of an intense activity, usually a troubling one.
Epicentre in a sentence
The epicentre lay twenty kilometres off the coast.
The market turned out to be the epicentre of the outbreak.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- focal point
- centre
- heart
- hub
Careful
Epicentre isn't simply a grander word for centre. Its figurative use for the heart of a crisis or outbreak is now standard, but 'the epicentre of fashion' just means the centre.
Where epicentre comes from
From Greek epi, upon, and kentron, centre.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The market turned out to be the _____ of the outbreak.
- epicentre
- hoi polloi
- cohort
Show the answer
epicentre: The market turned out to be the epicentre of the outbreak.