The concept of haut-lieu1 is too obscure or so badly understood considering the notional wooliness that affects it and the multiple terms that refer to it, that it is difficult to define it and risky to distinguish its role. This confusion irremediably prejudices the use of this key-concept for geography at a time when the meaning of place and the sense of belonging are greatly challenged. Sensitive to this difficulty, it appeared to us relevant to try to correct it by doing an etymological analysis of haut-lieu and a critical comparative survey of its main meanings. As a result of this analysis, we will be able to propose a definition that emphasizes the richness and the utility of the haut-lieu to make better sense of an increasingly complex world, and perhaps propose a better way to live in it.