focal point

fo·cal point

F f

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [foh-kuh l point]
- /ˈfoʊ kəl pɔɪnt/
- /ˈfəʊ.kəl pɔɪnt/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [foh-kuh l point]
- /ˈfoʊ kəl pɔɪnt/

Definitions of focal point words

noun focal point Also called principal focus. Optics. either of two points on the axis of a mirror, lens, or other optical system, one point being such that rays diverging from it are deviated parallel to the axis upon refraction or reflection by the system and the other point being such that rays parallel to the axis of the system converge to the point upon refraction or reflection by the system. 2
noun focal point the point at which all elements or aspects converge; center of activity or attention: The focal point of our discussion was the need for action. 1
noun focal point the central or principal point of focus. 1
noun focal point perspective: where lines converge 1
noun focal point focus of attention 1
countable noun focal point The focal point of something is the thing that people concentrate on or pay most attention to. 0

See all 10 definitions of focal point

Information block about the term

Origin of focal point

First appearance:

before 1705

One of the 50% oldest English words

First recorded in 1705-15

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Focal point

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Focal point

focal point popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 36% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 70% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

focal point usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for focal point

noun focal point

centerpiece — The centerpiece of something is the best or most interesting part of it.
prime focus — the focal point of the objective lens or primary mirror of a telescope

All 2 Synonyms of focal point