The word focus means

Noun



He’s successful, but he feels that his life lacks focus.



His life lacks a focus.

Verb



She has an amazing ability to focus for hours at a time.



I wasn’t able to focus the camera.



I wasn’t able to get the camera to focus.

Recent Examples on the Web



Papers describing this result and others related to the burst were published in a focus issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters in March.


—Briley Lewis, Popular Science, 4 Apr. 2023




Wisconsin voters headed to the polls Tuesday in a high-stakes election for a swing seat on the state’s supreme court that has become the most expensive such judicial contest in U.S. history, demonstrating how state courts have become the focus of increasingly partisan politics.


—Ben Kesling, wsj.com, 4 Apr. 2023




There are a variety of workspaces, including focus pods and quieter places, for employees who face challenges working in more crowded environments.


—Megan Leonhardt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2023




Follow the madness: Latest Men’s NCAA Tournament College Basketball Scores and Schedules The stop-and-start flow and defensive focus in the second half sparked memories of the Huskies’ 2011 championship game win against Butler.


—Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2023




But there are still plenty of colorful scenes and engaging performances to enjoy, not to mention overall potential if this story can just pull back a little and focus.


—Amber Dowling, Variety, 4 Apr. 2023




Then the focus turned to Miller’s insanity defense.


—Lane Sainty, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2023




But most importantly and as the primary focus, the student-athletes.


—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2023




How did butter become your business focus?


—Kristine M. Kierzek, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2023



Photos must show each object in its entirety and must be clearly focused and well lighted to show detail.


—oregonlive, 5 Apr. 2023




Yet on Causeway, much of the Black and Gold fan base already has turned eyes to the playoffs, the Stanley Cup title that could be, rather than focusing on the bookkeeping, and possible record-breaking of the final five games.


—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Apr. 2023




Just concentrate on the main story without focusing on the slight misdirects at the top and bottom of the episodes, which run a blissfully brisk 30-ish minutes apiece.


—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2023




Roland Li covers commercial real estate for the business desk, focusing on the Bay Area office and retail sectors.


—Mallory Moench, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2023




Candidates across the spectrum say that voters are tired of political toxicity and want to elect leaders who will focus on solutions.


—Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Apr. 2023




Simpson said the chain has a clear path of getting to 150 units within the next five years, but only through focusing over the food, and developing its next generation of leaders.


—William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 4 Apr. 2023




Fielding’s is a picaresque novel, an early literary genre which focuses on a roguish but lovable underdog hero on a series of adventures.


—Emma Dibdin, Town & Country, 4 Apr. 2023




Hayashi says that her version of face yoga focuses mainly on exercises that are done using the muscles of the face, rather than manually manipulating the face with the hands.


—Rachel Murphy, Verywell Health, 4 Apr. 2023


See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘focus.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Источник

  • Top Definitions
  • Synonyms
  • Quiz
  • Related Content
  • More About Focus
  • Examples
  • British
  • Scientific

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

noun, plural fo·cus·es or (especially British) fo·cus·ses, fo·ci [foh-sahy, -kahy]. /ˈfoʊ saɪ, -kaɪ/.

a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity: The need to prevent a nuclear war became the focus of all diplomatic efforts.

close attention or concentration: Some of the warning signs indicating you should pull over: drifting between lanes, repeated yawning, tailgating, and trouble maintaining focus.

the ability to concentrate one’s attention or to sustain concentration:Mindfulness and meditation are often suggested to help manage stress, increase awareness of emotions, and improve focus.

Physics. a point at which rays of light, heat, or other radiation meet after being refracted or reflected.

Optics.

  1. the focal point of a lens, on which rays converge or from which they deviate.
  2. the focal length of a lens; the distance from a focal point to a corresponding principal plane.
  3. the clear and sharply defined condition of an image.
  4. 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.

QUIZ

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Which sentence is correct?

Origin of focus

First recorded in 1635–45; Latin: “fireplace, hearth”

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-fo·cused; especially British, self-fo·cussed, adjectiveself-fo·cus·ing; especially British, self-fo·cus·sing, adjectiveun·fo·cus·ing; especially British, un·fo·cus·sing, adjectivewell-fo·cused; especially British, well-fo·cussed, adjective

Words nearby focus

Foch, foci, focometer, Focsani, fo’c’s’le, focus, focused strategy, focus group, focusing cloth, focus puller, fodder

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT FOCUS

Where does focus come from?

What does the word focus bring to your mind? Maybe you think of a photograph that is clear and sharply defined. Or perhaps you recall a teacher tsk-tsking you to pay attention in class. But what about a fireplace?

Well, the word focus comes directly from the Latin focus, which meant “fireplace” or “hearth” (that is, the floor of a fireplace). This is what focus originally meant in English when the word entered the language around 1635–45, though that sense has been extinguished, as it were.

But the word focus burned on in other ways. As the 1600s unfolded, focus was given new meanings in the great scientific literature of that age, which were largely written in what’s known as New Latin. In the 1650s, the influential English philosopher and author Thomas Hobbes used focus for a kind of fixed point in geometry. So did Isaac Newton—you know, of gravity fame—in the 1690s.

Other applications of the word focus in the late 1600s came about in the fields of medicine and physics. In physics, a focus is “a point at which rays of light, heat, or other radiation meet after being refracted or reflected.” Perhaps you can imagine how a fireplace or a hearth—contained areas and sources of heat and light—was likened to such a point in math and science.

Dig deeper

The word focus took on a number of senses in optics, specifically “the point on a lens on which rays converge or from which they deviate.” A more familiar sense of focus is “the clear and sharply defined condition of an image,” as when the image isn’t blurry. Optics has also given us the expressions in focus and out of focus, which can be used both literally and figuratively.

From these various ideas of clarity and convergence in optics arises one of the more common, everyday ways we use the word focus today: “a central point, as a of attention, activity, or activity.” For example, Finding a cure for cancer was the focus of his long career. Focus also refers to ability to concentrate, as in The teacher felt the students struggled with their focus. These senses of focus had spread by the early 1800s, around when various verb forms of focus take off. The adjective form of focus is focal.

Did you know … ?

The Latin word focus became the general word for “fire” in the language’s descendants. Spanish fuego, French fue, Italian fuoco, Portuguese fogo, Romanian foco, to cite just the most spoken Romance languages—all of these words for “fire” come from the Latin focus.

So does another French word for a different part of the house: the foyer. A foyer refers to a lobby of a theater, hotel, or apartment house. In French, a foyer was originally a room to which theater audiences went for warmth between the acts.

There’s just something about a fireplace, isn’t there? Its magic wasn’t lost on the ancient Romans, either: focus was also extended to mean “home, family,” a metaphor also at work in English’s very own word hearth. Now that warms the heart, doesn’t it?

Words related to focus

focal point, spotlight, target, attract, concentrate, direct, fixate, meet, put, center, core, cynosure, headquarters, heart, hub, limelight, locus, polestar, seat, adjust

How to use focus in a sentence

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • However, different aspects vary based on the agency’s focus.

  • Back in New York, the slow pace and inward focus of her yoga practice was less fulfilling.

  • Stephanie Giorgio, a classical musician, credits The Class for helping her cope with anxiety, focus, fear, and self-doubt.

  • There is a particular focus in the magazine on attacking the United States, which al Qaeda calls a top target.

  • And too much of a focus on numbers can obscure strategic truths.

  • 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.

  • Lessard’s high-handed squelching of MacRae had thrown everything out of focus.

  • William Weedham brought scowling eyes to focus upon Kip Burland.

  • It is doubtful if any woman had done as much to entice them to a common focus as the surmounting Mrs. Hofer.

  • Why the focus of the telescope should change during a long exposure is not quite clear.

  • Before beginning an exposure the focus is adjusted by means of a high-power positive eyepiece.

British Dictionary definitions for focus

noun plural -cuses or -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

optics the 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

geometry a 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

pathol the main site of an infection or a localized region of diseased tissue

verb -cuses, -cusing, -cused, -cusses, -cussing or -cussed

to bring or come to a focus or into focus

(tr often foll by on) to fix attention (on); concentrate

Derived forms of focus

focusable, adjectivefocuser, noun

Word Origin for focus

C17: via New Latin from Latin: hearth, fireplace

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for focus

Plural focuses or foci (fō′sī′, fō′kī′)

The degree of clarity with which an eye or optical instrument produces an image.

See focal point.

A central point or region, such as the point at which an earthquake starts.

Mathematics A fixed point or one of a pair of fixed points used in generating a curve such as an ellipse, parabola, or hyperbola.

The region of a localized bodily infection or disease.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Источник

фокус, центр, очаг, средоточие, сфокусировать, фокусироваться

существительное ↓

- физ. фокус

in [out of] focus — в [не в] фокусе 
to check the focus — фокусировать 
the glasses are not at the right focus for me — бинокль и т. п. настроен не по моим глазам 
to bring into focus — а) поместить в фокусе; фокусировать; б) дать ясную картину (положения и т. п.); подчеркнуть (важность в чего-л.) 
focus puller — кино проф. ассистент кинооператора, производящий наводку на резкость 
focus range — диапазон фокусировки 

- мат. фокус (эллипса и т. п.)
- ярко освещённое пятно (на сцене)
- средоточие; центр

to be a focus of attention — привлекать к себе всеобщее внимание 
the focus of a disease — очаг болезни 
a focus of trouble between nations — узел международных противоречий 

- геол. фокус, очаг землетрясения

глагол ↓

- собирать в фокус; фокусировать

to focus opera-glasses to suit one’s sight — настроить бинокль (по глазам) 

- помещать в фокусе

to focus the sunrays on smth. with a burning-glass — сфокусировать зажигательным стеклом солнечные лучи на чём-л. 

- сосредоточивать (внимание и т. п.)

all eyes were focused on him — все взгляды были обращены на него 
to focus one’s attention [thoughts, efforts] on a matter — сосредоточить (на чём-л.) внимание [мысли, усилия] 

Мои примеры

Словосочетания

Примеры с переводом

Dave likes to be the focus of attention. 

Дейв любит быть в центре внимания.

All eyes were focused on the young actress. 

Все взоры были устремлены на эту молодую актрису.

I find it hard to focus when it’s so late at night. 

Мне очень трудно сосредоточиться так поздно ночью.

Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies 

Сосредоточьтесь, пожалуйста, на учёбе, а не на своих увлечениях.

His life lacks a focus. 

Его жизнь бесцельна.

All her energy was focused upon her children. 

Вся её энергия была сосредоточена на детях.

In tonight’s programme the focus is on vegetarian food. 

Гвоздём вечерней программы будет вегетарианская пища.

ещё 23 примера свернуть

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

…a time of year when people shouldn’t focus on fleshly concerns, but instead on spiritual matters…  

Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.

Возможные однокоренные слова

focused  — фокусированный
focuser  — прибор для фокусировки, фокусировочный объектив, фокусирующее устройство
focusing  — установка на фокус, фокусировка, фокусирующий, сосредотачивающий
refocus  — найти новый фокус, перефокусировать, изменить направление, течение

Формы слова

verb
I/you/we/they: focus
he/she/it: focusses or focuses
ing ф. (present participle): focusing or focussin
2-я ф. (past tense): focused or focussed
3-я ф. (past participle): focused or focussed

noun
ед. ч.(singular): focus
мн. ч.(plural): focuses or foci

Источник

Other forms: focused; focusing; focuses; foci; focussing

Focus is something that camera lenses and sleepy students are always being asked to do. For cameras, it means finding a point where the subject is clear or «in focus.» For students, it means paying attention.

Focus is all about finding a center — of a parabolic curve, of a lens, of a meditative state. In Latin, focus meant ‘domestic hearth,’ which just goes to show that not much has changed — since kitchens remain the focus of the modern home. Focus can be used as a verb, as in «I need to focus on my work, so I can play video games later;» and as a noun, as in «What is the focus of this essay? I can’t tell, since the writer seems to be all over the place.»

Definitions of focus

  1. noun

    the concentration of attention or energy on something

    “the
    focus of activity shifted to molecular biology”

    synonyms:

    centering, direction, focal point, focusing, focussing

  2. noun

    special emphasis attached to something

  3. verb

    direct one’s attention on something

    “Please
    focus on your studies and not on your hobbies”

    synonyms:

    center, centre, concentrate, pore, rivet

    rivet

    hold (someone’s attention)

    see moresee less

    types:

    show 7 types…
    hide 7 types…
    absorb, engross, engulf, immerse, plunge, soak up, steep

    devote (oneself) fully to

    recall

    cause one’s (or someone else’s) thoughts or attention to return from a reverie or digression

    think

    focus one’s attention on a certain state

    zoom in

    examine closely; focus one’s attention on

    hear, listen, take heed

    listen and pay attention

    drink, drink in

    be fascinated or spell-bound by; pay close attention to

    incline

    bend or turn (one’s ear) towards a speaker in order to listen well

    type of:

    cerebrate, cogitate, think

    use or exercise the mind or one’s power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments

  4. noun

    maximum clarity or distinctness of an image rendered by an optical system

    “in
    focus”

    “out of
    focus”

  5. noun

    maximum clarity or distinctness of an idea

    “the controversy brought clearly into
    focus an important difference of opinion”

  6. verb

    put (an image) into focus

    “Please
    focus the image”

    synonyms:

    focalise, focalize, sharpen

  7. verb

    bring into focus or alignment; converge or cause to converge (of ideas or emotions)

  8. noun

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

  9. noun

    a central point or locus of an infection in an organism

    “the
    focus of infection”

    synonyms:

    focal point, nidus

  10. verb

    cause to converge on or toward a central point

    “Focus the light on this image”

    see moresee less

    Antonyms:

    blur

    make less distinct or clear

    types:

    refocus

    focus once again; The physicist refocused the light beam»

    type of:

    sharpen

    make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper

  11. verb

    become focussed or come into focus

    “The light
    focused”

    synonyms:

    focalise, focalize

  12. noun

    a fixed reference point on the concave side of a conic section

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘focus’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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Источник

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin focus (“hearth, fireplace”); see there for more. Doublet of fuel.

Kepler introduced the term into mathematics and the sciences in describing elliptical orbits of planets (quote from Nicholas Mee) :
«One of the interesting properties of an ellipse is that if there were a light bulb at one focus, then all the light that it emits would reflect off the ellipse and converge at the other focus. This is why Kepler originally used the name focus for these points.»[1]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈfəʊ.kəs/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈfoʊ.kəs/
  • Rhymes: -əʊkəs

Noun[edit]

focus (countable and uncountable, plural foci or focuses or focusses)

  1. (countable, optics) A point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge.

    The heat of sunlight at the focus of a magnifying glass can easily set dry leaves on fire.

  2. (countable, geometry) A point of a conic at which rays reflected from a curve or surface converge.
  3. (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The fact of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.

    • 2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist:

      Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus. […] A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that. Developed as a tool to electronically combine the sharpest bits of multiple digital images, focus stacking is a boon to biologists seeking full focus on a micron scale.

    Unfortunately, the license plate is out of focus in this image.

  4. (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The quality of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.

    During this scene, the boy’s face shifts subtly from soft focus into sharp focus.

  5. (uncountable) Concentration of attention.

    I believe I can bring the high degree of focus required for this important job.

  6. (countable, seismology) The exact point of where an earthquake occurs, in three dimensions (underneath the epicentre).

    The earthquake’s focus was at exactly 37 degrees north, 18 degrees south, seventy five meters below the ground.

  7. (graphical user interface) The status of being the currently active element in a user interface, often indicated by a visual highlight.

    Text entered at the keyboard or pasted from a clipboard is sent to the component which currently has the focus.

  8. (linguistics) The most important word or phrase in a sentence or passage, or the one that imparts information.
  9. An object used in casting a magic spell.
    • 2004, Marian Singer, Trish MacGregor, The Only Wiccan Spell Book You’ll Ever Need
      Candles, in fact, are an essential ingredient in many spells. They can be used as either the focus of the spell or as a component that sets the spell’s overall mood and tone.
    • 2014, Kristen S. Walker, Witch Gate (page 180)
      I ran through what I knew about spells from Mom and other witchcraft sources, but nothing matched what I was used to seeing in her magic work. Usually she used herbs and other plants as a focus for the spell.

Derived terms[edit]

  • focus hunting
  • focus lamp
  • focus lantern
  • focus puller
  • focus-group
  • laser focus
  • pull-focus
  • self-focus
  • virtual focus

Translations[edit]

in optics

  • Armenian: կիզակետ (hy) (kizaket)
  • Bulgarian: фокус (bg) m (fokus)
  • Catalan: focus (ca) m
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 焦點／焦点 (zh) (jiāodiǎn)
  • Czech: ohnisko (cs) n
  • Danish: fokus n
  • Dutch: focus (nl) m, brandpunt (nl) n
  • Esperanto: fokuso
  • Estonian: fookus
  • Finnish: fokus (fi), polttopiste (fi)
  • French: foyer (fr) m
  • German: Brennpunkt (de) m, Fokus (de) m
  • Hungarian: gyújtópont (hu), fókusz (hu)
  • Irish: fócas m
  • Italian: fuoco (it) m
  • Japanese: 焦点 (ja) (しょうてん, shōten)
  • Korean: 초점(焦点) (ko) (chojeom)
  • Kurdish:
    Northern Kurdish: tîşko (ku) f
  • Macedonian: фокус m (fokus)
  • Maori: ngahunga
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: fokus n, brennpunkt n
    Nynorsk: fokus n, brennpunkt n
  • Persian: فوکوس‎ (fokus), کانون‎ (fa) (kânun)
  • Polish: ognisko (pl)
  • Portuguese: foco (pt) m
  • Russian: фо́кус (ru) m (fókus), фока́льная то́чка f (fokálʹnaja tóčka)
  • Spanish: foco (es) m, punto focal m
  • Swedish: brännpunkt (sv) c, fokus (sv) n
  • Tagalog: katumbukan
  • Turkish: odak (tr)
  • Vietnamese: tiêu điểm (vi)

in mathematics

  • Bulgarian: фокус (bg) m (fokus)
  • Catalan: focus (ca) m
  • Danish: fokus n
  • Dutch: focus (nl) m, brandpunt (nl) n
  • Estonian: fookus
  • Finnish: polttopiste (fi), leikkauspiste (fi)
  • French: foyer (fr) m
  • German: Brennpunkt (de) m
  • Irish: fócas m
  • Italian: fuoco (it) m
  • Japanese: 焦点 (ja) (しょうてん, shōten)
  • Korean: 초점 (ko) (chojeom)
  • Macedonian: фокус m (fokus)
  • Maori: ngahunga
  • Portuguese: foco (pt) m
  • Russian: фо́кус (ru) m (fókus), фока́льная то́чка f (fokálʹnaja tóčka)
  • Spanish: foco (es) m
  • Tagalog: katumbukan
  • Vietnamese: tiêu điểm (vi)

concentration of attention

  • Arabic: بُؤْرَة‎ m (buʔra)
  • Catalan: focus (ca) m
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 集中 (zh) (jízhōng)
  • Danish: fokus n
  • Dutch: focus (nl) m
  • Esperanto: fokuso
  • Estonian: keskendus
  • Finnish: keskittyminen (fi)
  • French: attention (fr) f
  • German: Konzentration (de) f
  • Irish: fócas m, príomhchúram m
  • Japanese: 集中 (ja) (しゅうちゅう, shūchū)
  • Korean: 집중 (ko) (jipjung)
  • Malagasy: fifantohana (mg)
  • Maori: aronga
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: fokus n
    Nynorsk: fokus n
  • Oromo: hubannaa
  • Portuguese: foco (pt) m, enfoque (pt) m, concentração (pt) f
  • Romanian: concentrare (ro) f
  • Russian: концентра́ция (ru) f (koncentrácija), концентра́ция внима́ния f (koncentrácija vnimánija), сосредото́чение (ru) n (sosredotóčenije), средото́чие (ru) n (sredotóčije)
  • Spanish: foco (es) m
  • Swedish: fokus (sv)
  • Vietnamese: trọng tâm (vi)

exact point of where an earthquake occurs — see hypocentre

Verb[edit]

focus (third-person singular simple present focuses or focusses, present participle focusing or focussing, simple past and past participle focused or focussed)

  1. (intransitive, followed by on or upon) To concentrate during a task.

    I have to focus on my work.

  2. (transitive) To direct attention, effort, or energy to a particular audience or task.

    The president focused her remarks to the newcomers.

  3. (transitive) To cause (rays of light, etc) to converge at a single point.

    • 1961 February, “Talking of Trains: Collision at Newcastle”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 75-76:

      The difficulties of focussing colour-light signals on curved tracks to ensure maximum sighting distance were underlined in the recent official report […] on a low-speed collision at Newcastle Central on July 25, 1960, between an unfitted freight and a diesel-hauled passenger train.

  4. (transitive) To adjust (a lens, an optical instrument) in order to position an image with respect to the focal plane.
    You’ll need to focus the microscope carefully in order to capture the full detail of this surface.
  5. (intransitive) To concentrate one’s attention.
    If you’re going to beat your competitors, you need to focus.
  6. (computing, graphical user interface, transitive) To transfer the input focus to (a visual element), so that it receives subsequent input.
    The text box won’t receive the user’s keystrokes unless you explicitly focus it.
  7. (accounting, formerly) To aggregate figures of accounts.

    • 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, published 1993, page 67:

      Whole pages of it are filled with masses of figures, generally single numbers added up in batches, and then the totals added in batches again, as though he were «focusing» some account, as the auditors put it.

Usage notes[edit]

The spellings focusses, focussing, focussed are more common in Commonwealth English than in American English, but in both varieties they are less common than the spellings focuses, focusing, focused.

Derived terms[edit]

  • focus group
  • in focus
  • out of focus
  • soft focus

[edit]

  • focal

Translations[edit]

to adjust (a lens, an optical instrument)

  • Arabic: please add this translation if you can
  • Bulgarian: фокусирам (fokusiram)
  • Catalan: enfocar (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
  • Danish: fokusere
  • Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
  • Finnish: tarkentaa (fi)
  • French: mettre au point (fr)
  • German: fokussieren (de)
  • Hungarian: fókuszál (hu), fókuszba állít, élesre állít
  • Ido: enfokigar (io)
  • Irish: fócasaigh
  • Italian: mettere a fuoco
  • Japanese: ピントを合わせる (pinto wo awaseru)
  • Korean: please add this translation if you can
  • Portuguese: focalizar (pt)
  • Romanian: focaliza (ro)
  • Russian: фокуси́ровать (ru) impf (fokusírovatʹ), сфокуси́ровать (ru) pf (sfokusírovatʹ), наводить на фокус (navodít’ na fókus)
  • Spanish: enfocar (es)
  • Swedish: fokusera (sv), ställa in fokus, ställa in skärpan
  • Thai: please add this translation if you can
  • Ukrainian: фокусува́ти impf (fokusuváty), сфокусува́ти pf (sfokusuváty)
  • Vietnamese: điều chỉnh tiêu điểm

transitive: to concentrate one’s attention

  • Bulgarian: съсредоточавам се (sǎsredotočavam se), концентрирам се (koncentriram se)
  • Catalan: enfocar (ca)
  • Danish: fokusere på, koncentrere sig om
  • Finnish: keskittyä (fi) (+ illative), kiinnittää huomionsa, keskittää huomionsa (+ illative)
  • French: se concentrer (on/upon: sur)
  • German: sich konzentrieren (on/upon: auf), fokussieren (de)
  • Hungarian: összpontosít (hu), koncentrál (hu), fókuszál (hu)
  • Italian: concentrarsi (it) (on/upon: su (it))
  • Japanese: 集中する (ja) (shūchū suru) (on/upon: に (ja))
  • Latin: animadverto (la)
  • Macedonian: сосредоточува (sosredotočuva), концентри́ра (koncentríra)
  • Portuguese: focar (pt)
  • Romanian: se concentra (on/upon: pe/asupra)
  • Russian: концентри́ровать (ru) impf (koncentrírovatʹ), сконцентри́ровать (ru) pf (skoncentrírovatʹ), сосредото́чивать (ru) impf (sosredotóčivatʹ), сосредото́чить (ru) pf (sosredotóčitʹ)
  • Spanish: centrarse en (es), enfocar (es)
  • Swedish: fokusera (sv)
  • Turkish: odaklanmak (tr)
  • Vietnamese: tập trung (vi)

make (a liquid) less diluted

  • Bulgarian: сгъстявам (bg) (sgǎstjavam), концентрирам (bg) (koncentriram)
  • French: concentrer (fr)
  • Italian: concentrare (it)
  • Japanese: 濃縮する (ja) (nōshuku suru)
  • Portuguese: concentrar (pt)
  • Russian: концентри́ровать (ru) impf (koncentrírovatʹ), сконцентри́ровать (ru) pf (skoncentrírovatʹ)
  • Swedish: koncentrera (sv)

intransitive: to concentrate one’s attention

  • Belarusian: засяроджвацца impf (zasjaródžvacca), засяродзіцца pf (zasjaródzicca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 集中 (zh) (jízhōng)
  • Danish: fokusere, koncentrere sig
  • Dutch: zich concentreren, focussen, zich focussen
  • Finnish: keskittyä (fi)
  • French: se concentrer, se focaliser
  • German: sich konzentrieren
  • Hungarian: összpontosít (hu), koncentrál (hu)
  • Irish: dírigh ar
  • Italian: concentrarsi (it)
  • Japanese: 集中する (ja) (shūchū suru)
  • Korean: 집중하다 (ko) (jipjunghada)
  • Latin: animadverto (la)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: fokusere (no)
    Nynorsk: fokusere, fokusera
  • Polish: skupiać się (pl) impf, skupić się (pl) pf, skoncentrować się (pl) pf
  • Portuguese: focar-se
  • Romanian: se concentra
  • Russian: концентри́роваться (ru) impf (koncentrírovatʹsja), сконцентри́роваться (ru) pf (skoncentrírovatʹsja), сосредото́чиваться (ru) impf (sosredotóčivatʹsja), сосредото́читься (ru) pf (sosredotóčitʹsja)
  • Spanish: concentrarse (es)
  • Swedish: fokusera (sv), koncentrera sig
  • Ukrainian: зосереджуватися impf (zoseredžuvatysja), зосередитися pf (zoseredytysja)
  • Vietnamese: tập trung (vi)

to transfer the input focus to

References[edit]

  1. ^ Mee, Nicholas (2014) Gravity: Cracking the Cosmic Code, Virtual Image Publishing, →ISBN, page 74

Anagrams[edit]

  • Fusco

Catalan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin focus. Compare the inherited doublet foc.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA(key): /ˈfɔ.kus/

Noun[edit]

focus m (plural focus)

  1. focus

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from New Latin focus. The figurative sense probably derives from English focus.[1]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈfoː.kʏs/
  • Hyphenation: fo‧cus

Noun[edit]

focus m (plural focussen)

  1. (optics, physics) focus

    Zij plaatste een convexe lens op de focus.

    She placed a convex lense on the focus.
    Synonym: brandpunt
  2. (figurative) focus, centre

    Die jodocus heeft geen focus.

    That clown doesn’t have any focus.
  3. (linguistics) focus

    Focus is een belangrijk begrip in de informatiestructuur van zinnen.

    Focus is an important concept in the information structure of sentences.

Derived terms[edit]

  • focaal
  • focusafstand
  • focussen

[edit]

  • foyer

Descendants[edit]

  • Afrikaans: fokus

References[edit]

  1. ^ Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; van der Sijs, Nicoline (2003–2009) Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands (in Dutch), Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press

Italian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin focus, whence also Italian fuoco (an inherited doublet).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈfɔ.kus/
  • Rhymes: -ɔkus
  • Hyphenation: fò‧cus

Noun[edit]

focus m (invariable)

  1. focus (all senses)

Anagrams[edit]

  • Fusco

Latin[edit]

Etymology[edit]

  • The origin is uncertain. Usually connected with Old Armenian բոց (bocʿ).
  • Some connect this along with faciēs, facētus, fax to Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”). In that case, cognate at the root level with Sanskrit भाति (bhā́ti), Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō, “to shine”), etc.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈfo.kus/, [ˈfɔkʊs̠]
  • (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈfo.kus/, [ˈfɔːkus]

Noun[edit]

focus m (genitive focī); second declension

  1. fireplace, hearth
  2. firepan, coal pan, brazier
  3. (figuratively) house, family
  4. (Vulgar Latin) fire

Declension[edit]

Second-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative focus focī
Genitive focī focōrum
Dative focō focīs
Accusative focum focōs
Ablative focō focīs
Vocative foce focī

Synonyms[edit]

  • (fire): ignis

Derived terms[edit]

  • focāceus
  • focācius
  • focārius
  • foculus

[edit]

  • focillare
  • foculare

Descendants[edit]

  • Balkan Romance:
    • Aromanian: foc, focu
    • Istro-Romanian: foc
    • Megleno-Romanian: foc
    • Romanian: foc
  • Dalmatian:
    • fuc
  • Italo-Romance:
    • Corsican: focu
    • Italian: fuoco
    • Neapolitan: fuoco
    • Sicilian: focu
  • Insular Romance:
    • Sardinian: fogu, focu
  • North Italian:
    • Gallo-Italic:
      • Emilian: fûg
      • Ligurian: fêugo
      • Lombard: fœg, fœi, fœv
      • Piedmontese: feu, feug
      • Romagnol: fug, fóg (Faenza, Imola)
    • Friulian: fûc
    • Istriot: fògo
    • Ladin: fech, fesc
    • Romansch: fieu, fiug
    • Venetian: fogo
      • → Byzantine Greek: φουγκού (phounkoú)
        • → Turkish: fufu
          • → Greek: φουφού (foufoú)
  • Gallo-Romance:
    • Catalan: foc
    • Franco-Provençal: fuè
    • Old French: fu
      • Middle French: feu
        • French: feu
      • Tourangeau: fieuy
      • Walloon: feu
    • Old Occitan: foc, fuec, fuoc
      • Occitan: fuòc, fòc; fuec; hoec; huec
  • Ibero-Romance:
    • Aragonese: fuego
    • Asturian: fueu, fuegu, ḥuego
    • Extremaduran: hueu
    • Mirandese: fuogo
    • Old Galician-Portuguese: fogo (see there for further descendants)
    • Old Spanish: fuego (see there for further descendants)

Borrowings:

  • → Catalan: focus
  • → Dutch: focus
  • → English: focus
  • → Esperanto: fokuso
  • → Finnish: fokus
  • → French: focus
  • → Galician: foco
  • → German: Fokus
  • → Italian: focus
  • → Portuguese: foco
  • → Russian: фо́кус (fókus)
  • → Spanish: foco
  • → Swedish: fokus

References[edit]

  • “focus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “focus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • focus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
  • focus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
  • Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
    • to fight for hearth and home: pro aris et focis pugnare, certare, dimicare
  • “focus”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • “focus”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French focus or German Fokus.

Noun[edit]

focus n (plural focusuri)

  1. focus

Declension[edit]

Источник

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