adj

focal

FOH-kl

adj

Central or most important; forming the main point that everything else relates to.

"The fireplace was the focal point of the living room."

"Climate change became the focal issue of the conference."

Relating to or located at a focus, such as the point where light rays converge.

"The lens was adjusted to correct the focal distance."

How to Use Focal

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishCentral or main — the thing everything else is arranged around.

Common pairings

focal point focal length focal issue

focals plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “focal” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Can you complete this real example?

The fireplace was the _____ point of the living room.

From New Latin focalis, built on Latin focus ("hearth, fire") plus the adjective ending "-al."

vocal local reciprocal unequivocal