focal point

US/ˈfoʊkəl ˌpɔɪnt/

noun

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

Meanings

nounfocal point (plural focal points)

plural focal points

  1. engineeringA focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge.
  2. The centre of any activity.

    Swansea's attack lacked its focal point with top scorer Fernando Llorente injured, while Boro seldom looked like scoring their first away league goal of 2017.

    2017 April 2, Dafydd Pritchard, “Swansea City 0-0 Middlesbrough”, in BBC Sport, London
    2 more examples

    Throughout the 1500s, the populace roiled over a constellation of grievances of which the forest emerged as a key focal point. The popular late Middle Ages fictional character Robin Hood, dressed in green to symbolize the forest, dodged fines for forest offenses and stole from the rich to give to the poor. But his appeal was painfully real and embodied the struggle over wood.

    2006, Edwin Black, chapter 2, in Internal Combustion

    By contrast, unelemental philosophy no longer has as its focal point humanity's relation to the world. Man (I use this term advisedly) becomes an analysing spectator of his existence, as opposed to a participant in it.

    2021, David Lorimer, A Quest for Wisdom

    Synonyms: epicenter

  3. artA feature that attracts particular attention.
  4. computingA solution that people will tend to use in the absence of communication, because it seems natural, special, or relevant.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe centre of any activity.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

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

Similar
Broader

nouna central point or locus of an infection in an organism

Similar
Broader

nounthe concentration of attention or energy on something

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 重点
  • 重点 (zhòngdiǎn)(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Czech ohnisko
  • ohnisko(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Danish brændpunkt, fokus
  • brændpunkt(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • fokus(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Dutch brandpunt
  • brandpunt(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Finnish polttopiste
  • polttopiste(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
French point focal
  • point focal(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
German Brennpunkt
  • Brennpunkt(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Greek σημείο εστίασης
  • σημείο εστίασης (simeío estíasis)(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Hungarian fókuszpont
  • fókuszpont(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Irish pointe fócasach
  • pointe fócasach(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Māori pū ngahunga
  • pū ngahunga(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Norwegian Bokmål brennpunkt
  • brennpunkt(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Polish centralny punkt, fokus
  • centralny punkt(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • fokus(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Romanian focar
  • focar(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Spanish punto focal, punto focal
  • punto focal(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
  • punto focalcenter of an activity
Tagalog katumbukan
  • katumbukan(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge
Cite this entry
APA

focal point. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/focal%20point

MLA

“focal point.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/focal%20point. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “focal point,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/focal%20point.

Source: focal point on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.