a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity: The need to prevent a nuclear war became the focus of all diplomatic efforts.
Physics. a point at which rays of light, heat, or other radiation meet after being refracted or reflected.
Optics.
the focal point of a lens, on which rays converge or from which they deviate.
the focal length of a lens; the distance from a focal point to a corresponding principal plane.
the clear and sharply defined condition of an image.
the position of a viewed object or the adjustment of an optical device necessary to produce a clear image: in focus; out of focus.
Geometry. (of a conic section) a point having the property that the distances from any point on a curve to it and to a fixed line have a constant ratio for all points on the curve.
Geology. the point of origin of an earthquake.
Pathology. the primary center from which a disease develops or in which it localizes.
verb (used with object),fo·cused,fo·cus·ing or (especially British) fo·cussed,fo·cus·sing.
to bring to a focus or into focus; cause to converge on a perceived point: to focus the lens of a camera.
to concentrate: to focus one's thoughts;to focus troop deployment in the east.
verb (used without object),fo·cused,fo·cus·ing or (especially British) fo·cussed,fo·cus·sing.
to be or become focused: My eyes have trouble focusing on distant objects.
to direct one's attention or efforts: Students must focus in class.
Origin of focus
1635–45; <Latin: fireplace, hearth
SYNONYMS FOR focus
1 center, heart, core, nucleus.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR focus ON THESAURUS.COM
OTHER WORDS FROM focus
fo·cus·a·ble,adjectivefo·cus·er,nounmis·fo·cus,verb,mis·fo·cused,mis·fo·cus·ing or (especially British) mis·fo·cussed,mis·fo·cus·sing.mis·fo·cused,adjective
mis·fo·cussed,adjectiveo·ver·fo·cus,verb (used with object),o·ver·fo·cused,o·ver·fo·cus·ing or (especially British) o·ver·fo·cussed,o·ver·fo·cus·sing.re·fo·cus,verb,re·fo·cused,re·fo·cus·ing or (especially British) re·fo·cussed,re·fo·cus·sing.self-focused,adjectiveself-fo·cus·ing,adjectiveself-focussed,adjectiveself-fo·cus·sing,adjectiveun·fo·cus·ing,adjectiveun·fo·cus·sing,adjectivewell-focused,adjectivewell-focussed,adjective
In the intervening period, as we weighed the cost of our overall portfolio and strategic focus, we made the decision not to relaunch the service.
Mozilla shutters Firefox Send and Notes|Frederic Lardinois|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
Several startups, including MJ Platform and BioTrack, are building similar platforms for this market, but Canix says the company’s focus on improving data entry makes it stand apart.
West Virginia environmental regulators are proposing to reduce the fines that a coal company owned by the state’s governor could pay for water pollution violations that are the focus of a federal court case.
This Billionaire Governor’s Coal Company Might Get a Big Break From His Own Regulators|by Ken Ward Jr.|September 17, 2020|ProPublica
Initially there may be a limited supply of vaccines available, and the focus will be on protecting health workers, other essential employees, and people in vulnerable groups.
U.S. outlines sweeping plan to provide free COVID-19 vaccines|Rachel Schallom|September 16, 2020|Fortune
However, different aspects vary based on the agency’s focus.
How would an SEO agency be built today? Part 2: Current business model(s)|Sponsored Content: SEOmonitor|September 16, 2020|Search Engine Land
Stephanie Giorgio, a classical musician, credits The Class for helping her cope with anxiety, focus, fear, and self-doubt.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And too much of a focus on numbers can obscure strategic truths.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
His wife passed away and they had kids, and he wanted to focus on being a dad so he just stopped to raise his kids.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The focus here was on how fast oil would come out of the Canadian fields.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4|PunditFact.com|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Investigators will focus on whether the sudden emergency was so extreme that no degree of pilot skill would have helped.
Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly?|Clive Irving|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The silence seemed to focus itself upon the cook, who fumbled at his coat collar and cleared his voice.
Hilda|Sarah Jeanette Duncan
Of course, the real force of the aim lies in its serving as the focus of thought.
Principles of Teaching|Adam S. Bennion
The constitution of the language is the result of the change of focus from signs to relations among them.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin
Each of the points was the focus of frightful and singular pangs.
Sea Stories|Various
The little spruce leaped out clear and distinct as he got the focus.
The Boy Scouts in A Trapper's Camp|Thornton W. Burgess
British Dictionary definitions for focus
focus
/ (ˈfəʊkəs) /
nounplural-cusesor-ci (-saɪ, -kaɪ, -kiː)
a point of convergence of light or other electromagnetic radiation, particles, sound waves, etc, or a point from which they appear to diverge
another name for focal point (def. 1), focal length
opticsthe state of an optical image when it is distinct and clearly defined or the state of an instrument producing this imagethe picture is in focus; the telescope is out of focus
a point upon which attention, activity, etc, is directed or concentrated
geometrya fixed reference point on the concave side of a conic section, used when defining its eccentricity
the point beneath the earth's surface at which an earthquake or underground nuclear explosion originatesCompare epicentre
patholthe main site of an infection or a localized region of diseased tissue
A point at which rays of light or other radiation converge or from which they appear to diverge, as after refraction or reflection in an optical system.focal point
focal length
The distinctness or clarity of an image rendered by an optical system.
The state of maximum distinctness or clarity of such an image.
An apparatus used to adjust the focal length of an optical system in order to make an image distinct or clear.
The region of a localized bodily infection or disease.
v.
To cause light rays or other radiation to converge on or toward a central point; concentrate.
To render an object or image in clear outline or sharp detail by adjustment of one's vision or an optical device.
To adjust a lens or instrument to produce a clear image.
To converge on or toward a central point of focus; be focused.