focus */*/*/

I UK [ˈfəʊkəs] / US [ˈfoʊkəs] verb [intransitive/transitive]
Word forms "focus":
present tense I/you/we/they focus he/she/it focusses or focuses present participle focusing or focussing past tense focused or focussed past participle focused or focussed

1) to concentrate on something and pay particular attention to it

I know you're tired, but try to focus.

focus on/upon:

We will focus upon three main topics.

focus attention on something:

Attention has been focused recently on the dangers of nuclear reactors.

focus your mind on something:

He found himself struggling to focus his mind on the discussion.

focus solely/entirely/particularly/exclusively on something:

Schools should not focus exclusively on exam results.

focus efforts/energy on something:

Efforts are now focused on cleaning up the beaches.

2) to turn a part on a camera, telescope, microscope etc until you can see something clearly

She leaned on a rock, focusing her binoculars.

focus on:

The television cameras were focused on the crowd.

3) if your eyes focus, or if you focus your eyes, you look at something carefully until you can start to see it clearly

It took a while for my eyes to focus in the dim light of the cave.

focus your eyes/gaze on someone/something:

Polly focused her gaze on Nathan.

4) science if a lens or mirror focuses rays of light, or if they focus, they meet at a particular point

II UK [ˈfəʊkəs] / US [ˈfoʊkəs] noun
Word forms "focus":
singular focus plural focuses or foci

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.

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.

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.

4)

a) [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.

b) [countable/uncountable] the part of a camera, telescope, microscope etc that you turn until you can see something clearly

5) [countable] physics

Word forms "focus":
plural foci a focal point