epicentre
1 synonym and 1 antonym for epicentre, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The point on the surface of the land or water directly above where an earthquake begins.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
hypocentre
How to use epicentre
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
the epicentre of the earthquake
at the epicentre
close to the epicentre
The figurative use is common in news writing but is criticised by some.
Etymology
The word is built from epi-, meaning over or on top, and centre, both ultimately from Ancient Greek. The wider sense of the centre of an activity, especially a disaster, is recorded from 1908 and came from earthquakes.
Full origin of epicentre →Frequently asked questions
What is the epicentre of an earthquake?
It is the point on the surface directly above the focus, or hypocentre, of the earthquake.
Is epicentre spelled epicenter?
Epicenter is the American spelling. Epicentre is the British spelling.
Can you say the epicentre of a crisis?
It is widely used that way, but some people object to it as loose. The objection is that epi- means over, not simply the middle.
