Standard Lemma guide

hypocentre

noun · 2 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

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  • rhymes with -ɛntə(ɹ)

1

noun

Meaning 1

The focus of an earthquake, directly under the epicentre.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The point on the surface below an atmospheric explosion; ground zero

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From hypo- + centre; from Ancient Greek ὑπο- (hupo-, “under-, sub-”) and Ancient Greek κέντρον (kéntron, “centre”).

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: hiposentrum — focus of an earthquake
  • Catalan: hipocentre — focus of an earthquake
  • Chinese Cantonese: 震源 (zan3 jyun4) — focus of an earthquake
  • Hakka Chinese: 震源 (chṳ́n-ngièn) — focus of an earthquake
  • Chinese: 震源 (chìn-goân) — focus of an earthquake
  • Chinese Mandarin: 震源 (zhènyuán) — focus of an earthquake
  • Dutch: hypocentrum — focus of an earthquake
  • Esperanto: hipocentro — focus of an earthquake
  • Finnish: hyposentri — focus of an earthquake
  • French: hypocentre — focus of an earthquake
  • Galician: hipocentro — focus of an earthquake
  • German: Hypozentrum — focus of an earthquake
  • Greek: υπόκεντρο (ypókentro) — focus of an earthquake
  • Indonesian: hiposentrum — focus of an earthquake
  • Italian: ipocentro — focus of an earthquake
  • Japanese: 震源 (shingen) — focus of an earthquake
  • Korean: 진원 (jinwon) — focus of an earthquake
  • Malay: hipopusat — focus of an earthquake
  • Portuguese: hipocentro — focus of an earthquake
  • Romanian: hipocentru — focus of an earthquake
  • Romanian: focar seismic — focus of an earthquake
  • Spanish: hipocentro — focus of an earthquake