fokus

Focus, or fokus, refers to the center of interest or activity and to the act of directing attention toward a specific object, task, or goal. It also denotes the point where light rays converge in an optical system, producing a sharp image. The term is used across disciplines—psychology, photography, linguistics, business, and technology—with field-specific meanings and nuances.

Originating from the Latin focus, meaning hearth or fireplace, the term evolved to describe the central point of convergence for light and, abstractly, the main point of attention in cognition and discourse.

In psychology and cognitive science, attentional focus describes where mental resources are directed. An external focus concentrates on environmental objects or tasks, while an internal focus centers on internal thoughts, sensations, or strategies. The direction and scope of focus influence performance and learning.

In optics, focus is the position at which light from a lens converges to form a sharp image on the sensor or film. Focus can be adjusted manually or by autofocus systems. Depth of field defines how much of the scene remains acceptably sharp.

In linguistics and information theory, focus or focus marking identifies the part of a sentence that carries new or highlighted information, guiding intonation and emphasis.

In business and technology, focus means concentrating resources on a specific market, product, or capability to achieve competitive advantage. In computing, focus indicates the user interface element that currently receives keyboard input.