concrete

American  

[kon-kreet, kong-, kon-kreet, kong-, kon-kreet, kong-] / ˈkɒn krit, ˈkɒŋ-, kɒnˈkrit, kɒŋ-, kɒnˈkrit, kɒŋ- /

noun

1. an artificial, stonelike material used for various structural purposes, made by mixing cement and various aggregates, as sand, pebbles, gravel, or shale, with water and allowing the mixture to harden.

2. any of various artificial building or paving materials, as those containing tar.

3. an idea, observation, term, or word having an actual or existent thing or instance as its referent, as opposed to its being abstract.

   Psychology is all about feelings and behavior, but I’m more interested in the concrete—and that’s why I became a surgeon.

4. a mass formed by coalescence or concretion of particles of matter.

---

adjective

1. constituting an actual thing or instance; real.

   concrete proof of his sincerity.

   Synonyms:

   substantial, factual, solid

   Antonyms:

   abstract

2. relating to or concerned with realities or actual instances rather than abstractions; particular (opposed to general).

   concrete ideas.

   Antonyms:

   abstract

3. representing or applied to an actual substance or thing, as opposed to an abstract quality.

   The words “cat,” “water,” and “teacher” are concrete, whereas the words “truth,” “excellence,” and “adulthood” are abstract.

4. made of concrete.

   a concrete pavement;

   concrete lawn ornaments.

5. formed by coalescence of separate particles into a mass; united in a coagulated, condensed, or solid mass or state.

verb (used with object)

concretes, present (3rd person singular) concreted, past participle, past concreting present participle

1. to treat or lay with concrete.

   to concrete a sidewalk.

2. to form into a mass by coalescence of particles; render solid.

   Of these two semiliquid solutions, which one do you think can be more easily concreted?

3. to make real, tangible, or particular.

verb (used without object)

concretes, present (3rd person singular) concreted, past participle, past concreting present participle

1. to coalesce into a mass; become solid; harden.

   Has it started to concrete?

2. to use or apply concrete.

   We can’t begin concreting until all the forms have been installed.

idioms

1. set / cast in concrete. stone.

concrete British  

/ ˈkɒnkriːt /

noun

1. 1. a construction material made of a mixture of cement, sand, stone, and water that hardens to a stonelike mass

   2. ( as modifier )

      a concrete slab

2. physics a rigid mass formed by the coalescence of separate particles

---

adjective

1. relating to a particular instance or object; specific as opposed to general

   a concrete example

2. 1. relating to or characteristic of things capable of being perceived by the senses, as opposed to abstractions

   2. ( as noun )

      the concrete

3. formed by the coalescence of particles; condensed; solid

verb

1. (tr) to construct in or cover with concrete

2. to become or cause to become solid; coalesce

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• concretively
  adverb
• unconcreted
  adjective
• unconcretely
  adverb
• concretive
  adjective
• concreteness
  noun
• concretely
  adverb
• unconcrete
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have concreted
  perfect
• has concreted
  perfect 3rd person singular
• am concreting
  progressive 1st person singular
• are concreting
  progressive
• have been concreting
  perfect progressive
• has been concreting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• is concreting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• concretes
  singular 3rd person
• concreting
  participle

Past

• had concreted
  perfect
• had been concreting
  perfect progressive
• were concreting
  progressive plural
• concreted
  simple
• was concreting
  progressive singular
• concreted
  participle

Future

• will concrete
  simple
• will have concreted
  perfect
• will be concreting
  progressive
• will have been concreting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of concrete

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin concrētus (past participle of concrēscere “to coalesce, condense”), equivalent to con- con- + crē(scere) “to grow, increase” + -tus past participle suffix

Explanation

Concrete is that pourable mix of cement, water, sand, and gravel that hardens into a super-strong building material. Sidewalks, foundations, and highways are all made of concrete. Though people use the words cement and concrete as if they were the same, they're not. Concrete has cement in it, but also includes other materials; cement is what binds concrete together. Construction workers hate when kids write their names in concrete before it hardens: once concrete hardens, it's going to be solid for a long time. When used as an adjective, concrete also means solid. If you've got concrete plans for Saturday, then you have a definite plan.

Example Sentences

Dipke’s first concrete demand after founding the party came in the form of a petition calling for the resignation of India’s education minister.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

Its upper floors stand ripped open to the sky, concrete hangs in jagged slabs and a smoke-blackened staircase disappears into darkness.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

AFP journalists observed concrete foundations for a fence on the ground that had also been removed.

From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026

Every Maltese resident was to live within a 10-minute walk of green space, on an island composed largely of limestone, concrete, and the parking lot of a Lidl, that overall turns brown in the summer.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2026

Elegant fountains dotted the property, looped and connected by polished concrete walkways edged with well-manicured landscaping that gave a historic university feel to an otherwise state-of-the-art facility.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin