Macmillan Dictionary

Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

focus

 - definition
 
 
 
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Close

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

more
noun British English pronunciation: focus /ˈfəʊkəs/ 
Word Forms
Close
singularfocus
pluralfocuses or foci
Other entries for this word

Related dictionary definitions

 
  1. 1
    [singular] the thing that people are concentrating on or paying particular attention to
    the main/primary/major focus:

    The main focus of the discussion was the way in which women are portrayed in advertising.

    focus of:

    At this point, the focus of the war moved to the Eastern Front.

    focus for:

    We have chosen six communities as the focus for our study.

    focus of attention:

    The teaching of basic mathematics has been a particular focus of our attention.

    focus of concern:

    The oil crisis became the focus of Western concern in the early 1970s.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of focus
  2. 2
    [singular/uncountable] particular attention paid to something
    focus on:

    I'd like to see more focus on economic policy.

    strong/sharp focus:

    The school puts a strong focus on academic achievement.

    greater focus:

    The report calls for greater focus on the needs of the poor.

    shift/change/move the focus:

    They are trying to shift the focus more towards domestic policy.

    bring/throw something into focus (=make people pay particular attention to it):

    The issue of pedestrian safety has been brought sharply into focus this week.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of focus
  3. 3
    [singular/uncountable] the act of concentrating on a particular aim and not wasting time or energy on other things

    All the lessons have a very clear focus.

    I think this marketing campaign has lost its focus.

    lack focus:

    A lot of young adults seem to lack focus in their lives.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of focus
  4. 4
    [uncountable] the state of being able to be seen clearly
    in focus (=able to be seen clearly):

    Some of the photographs aren't quite in focus.

    come into focus (=start to be seen clearly):

    Dad's face gradually came into focus in the viewfinder.

    out of focus (=not able to be seen clearly):

    Some of the shots seemed to be out of focus.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of focus
    1. a.
      [countable/uncountable] the part of a camera, telescope, microscope etc that you turn until you can see something clearly
      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of focus

This is the British English definition of focus. View American English definition of focus.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

View the pronunciation for focus.

 

cyberloafing

using the Internet where you work, during working hours, for activities which are not work-related

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day

neutrino

a particle that is smaller than an atom and has no electrical charge

Open Dictionary

show a bit of ankle

… to reveal a small part of your intentions in order to attract support, without actually committing yourself to doing anything

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog