Phrase guide

focal point

noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈfoʊkəl ˌpɔɪnt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: engineering, natural-sciences, optics, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The centre of any activity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A feature that attracts particular attention.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: art, arts

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A solution that people will tend to use in the absence of communication, because it seems natural, special, or relevant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, game-theory, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the concentration of attention or energy on something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the focus of activity shifted to molecular biology
  • he had no direction in his life

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: focus, focusing, focussing, direction, centering

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: concentration, engrossment, absorption, immersion

Narrower terms: particularism

6

noun

Meaning 6

a point of convergence of light (or other radiation) or a point from which it diverges

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: focus

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: point

7

noun

Meaning 7

a central point or locus of an infection in an organism

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the focus of infection

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: focus, nidus

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: point

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: կիզակետ (kizaket) — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Chinese Mandarin: 重点 (zhòngdiǎn) — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Czech: ohnisko — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Danish: brændpunkt — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Danish: fokus — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Dutch: brandpunt — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Finnish: polttopiste — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • French: point focal — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • German: Brennpunkt — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Greek: σημείο εστίασης (simeío estíasis) — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Hungarian: fókuszpont — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Irish: pointe fócasach — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Northern Kurdish: tîşkoya hawêneyê — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Māori: pū ngahunga — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Norwegian Bokmål: brennpunkt — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: brennpunkt — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Polish: centralny punkt — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Polish: fokus — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Romanian: focar — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Spanish: punto focal — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Tagalog: katumbukan — (optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • Spanish: punto focal — center of an activity