concentrate

[kon-suhn-treyt]

verb (used with object)

concentrated, concentrating 

1. to bring or draw to a common center or point of union; converge; direct toward one point; focus.

   to concentrate one's attention on a problem; to concentrate the rays of the sun with a lens.

   Antonyms: disperse, dissipate

2. to put or bring into a single place, group, etc..

   The nation's wealth had been concentrated in a few families.

3. to intensify; make denser, stronger, or purer, especially by the removal or reduction of liquid.

   to concentrate fruit juice; to concentrate a sauce by boiling it down.

4. Mining.,  to separate (metal or ore) from rock, sand, etc., so as to improve the quality of the valuable portion.

verb (used without object)

concentrated, concentrating 

1. to bring all efforts, faculties, activities, etc., to bear on one thing or activity (often followed by on orupon ).

   to concentrate on solving a problem.

   Antonyms: diverge

2. to come to or toward a common center; converge; collect.

   The population concentrated in one part of the city.

3. to become more intense, stronger, or purer.

noun

1. a concentrated form of something; a product of concentration.

   a juice concentrate.

concentrate

/ ˈkɒnsənˌtreɪt /

verb

1. to come or cause to come to a single purpose or aim

   to concentrate one's hopes on winning

2. to make or become denser or purer by the removal of certain elements, esp the solvent of a solution

3. (tr) to remove rock or sand from (an ore) to make it purer

4. to bring one's faculties to bear (on); think intensely (about)

noun

1. a concentrated material or solution

   tomato concentrate

Other Word Forms

• concentrator noun
• concentrative adjective
• concentrativeness noun
• nonconcentrative adjective
• nonconcentrativeness noun
• overconcentrate verb
• preconcentrate noun
• reconcentrate verb
• unconcentrative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of concentrate¹

First recorded in 1630–40; from French concentr(er) or Italian concentr(are) ( con-, center ) + -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of concentrate¹

C17: back formation from _{concentration} , ultimately from Latin com- same + centrum _centre

Synonym Study

See contract.

Example Sentences

Still, he worries Comerica’s geographic footprint, which is concentrated in Michigan and California, will slow Fifth Third’s shift into Southeast markets.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Much of the private inflation data is concentrated in specific sectors.

Read more on Barron's

Carolyn Rogers endorsed a competition shakeup in the highly concentrated financial-services industry, saying the country’s banking sector is an oligopoly and changes could help lift Canada’s prolonged productivity slump.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I believe AI will help concentrate the rich and make them wealthier.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

OTTAWA—The Bank of Canada’s No. 2 official endorsed a competition shakeup in the highly concentrated financial-services industry, saying the country’s banking sector is an oligopoly and changes could help lift Canada’s prolonged productivity slump.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accumulate 
• cluster 
• combine 
• consolidate 
• eliminate 
• focus 
• integrate 
• intensify 
• reduce 
• strengthen