"What's the plural of focus?"
The plural of focus is focuses or foci.
Definition of focus:
The center of attention, main purpose or emphasis.
Focuses or Foci?
Both "focuses" and "foci" are correct plurals of the word "focus."
"Focuses" is the more common plural form in modern English, while "foci" is a Latin plural that is sometimes used in scientific and technical contexts.
The word "focus" is derived from the Latin "focus," which means "hearth, fireplace."
In Latin, "focus" is a third declension noun, which means that its plural is formed by adding the suffix "-i." This is the source of the plural form "foci."
In modern English, however, the plural form "focuses" is more common. This is likely due to the influence of other English words that have a similar form, such as "bases" and "axes," which are derived from Latin words that end in "-is."
Both "focuses" and "foci" are correct, and you can use whichever one you prefer. In general, "focuses" is more common in everyday usage, while "foci" is more likely to be used in scientific or technical contexts.
Plural of Focus Example Sentences
Here are some examples of the words "focus," "focuses," and "foci" being used as nouns:
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"The focus of the meeting was to discuss the new project." (In this sentence, "focus" is a noun that refers to the main topic of the meeting.)
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"The company has multiple focuses, including research and development, marketing, and customer service." (In this sentence, "focuses" is a plural noun that refers to the different points of attention or concentration for the company.)
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"The project has two main foci: improving efficiency and increasing customer satisfaction." (In this sentence, "foci" is a plural noun that refers to the two main points of attention or concentration for the project.)
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"He has a tendency to lose focus easily, which can be a problem when working on long-term projects." (In this sentence, "focus" is a noun that refers to the state of being concentrated or focused.)
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"The conference had several focuses, including sustainability, innovation, and diversity." (In this sentence, "focuses" is a plural noun that refers to the different points of attention or concentration for the conference.)
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"The organization has three main foci: education, healthcare, and community development." (In this sentence, "foci" is a plural noun that refers to the three main points of attention or concentration for the organization.)
Focuses vs. foci
The graph shows the occurances of the plural of focus in written English since 1800 using Google's Ngram Viewer.
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