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# focus

verb (focus, focuses / focusses, focused / focussed, focusing / focussing); noun (a focus, focuses / foci)

«focus» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To focus means to give all your attention to one thing. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#m1)
2. The focus is the main thing people are paying attention to. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#m2)
3. To focus a camera, eyes or a lens means to adjust it so you see clearly and sharply. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#m3)
4. In focus means clear and sharp; out of focus means blurry. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#m4)
5. In science, the focus is the point where rays of light meet after passing through a lens. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#m5)

### In the lessons

In school: «focus on your work», a lesson's «focus», «stay focused»; focusing is easier when you have had sleep, food and few distractions. In science: lenses, magnifying glasses and eyes focus light; the eye's lens changes shape to focus. Safety: a magnifying glass can focus sunlight into a spot hot enough to start a fire. Phrases: «focus on», «stay focused», «lose focus», «in focus», «out of focus», «the focus of».

### Examples

- Focus on the question before you answer. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#x1)
- Turn off the TV so you can focus on your homework. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#x2)
- The photo is out of focus. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#x3)
- Turn the knob to focus the microscope. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#x4)
- The focus of today's lesson is fractions. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#x5)
- A magnifying glass can focus sunlight and burn paper. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#x6)
- She stayed focused for the whole test. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#x7)
- My eyes took a moment to focus in the dark. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/#x8)

### Note

Both «focused» and «focussed» are correct; «focused» is more common. Used with «on»: «focus on the task». Plural noun: «focuses» or, in science, «foci».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «focus» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/focus/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«focus» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/focus.html) on Mova free.