concentrate
Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
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to put or bring into a single place, group, etc..
The nation's wealth had been concentrated in a few families.
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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.
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Mining. to separate (metal or ore) from rock, sand, etc., so as to improve the quality of the valuable portion.
verb (used without object)
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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
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to come to or toward a common center; converge; collect.
The population concentrated in one part of the city.
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to become more intense, stronger, or purer.
noun
verb
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to come or cause to come to a single purpose or aim
to concentrate one's hopes on winning
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to make or become denser or purer by the removal of certain elements, esp the solvent of a solution
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(tr) to remove rock or sand from (an ore) to make it purer
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to bring one's faculties to bear (on); think intensely (about)
noun
Synonym Usage
See contract.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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concentrativeadjective
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overconcentrateverb
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concentratornoun
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concentrativenessnoun
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unconcentrativeadjective
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nonconcentrativeadjective
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preconcentratenoun
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nonconcentrativenessnoun
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reconcentrateverb
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has concentratedperfect 3rd person singular
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have concentratedperfect
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am concentratingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been concentratingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is concentratingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are concentratingprogressive
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concentratingparticiple
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have been concentratingperfect progressive
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concentratessingular 3rd person
Past
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had concentratedperfect
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were concentratingprogressive plural
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concentratedparticiple
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was concentratingprogressive singular
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had been concentratingperfect progressive
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concentratedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of concentrate
First recorded in 1630–40; from French concentr(er) or Italian concentr(are) ( see con-, center) + -ate 1
Explanation
Concentrate means to make something stronger, denser, or more focused. If you concentrate your energy, for example, you become more powerful! Concentrate your efforts at digging, and you'll plant that shrub a lot faster. You may have seen the words "frozen concentrate" used to describe orange juice. That can of frozen orange goo is the juice in its purest, most condensed form — the concentrate — and it's much stronger and sweeter than the juice you'd drink. Another meaning of the verb concentrate refers to your mental focus. You might need to concentrate on what you're reading in order to understand it. When you concentrate, you strengthen your focus to shut out distractions.
Vocabulary lists containing concentrate
Holes
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Meanwhile, assorted other parades and caravans are traveling Route 66 in other states this year; most of them concentrate on short segments.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
With the Ngungaju plant to ramp up shortly, UBS expects 1.05 million metric tons of spodumene concentrate with a 5.2% grade in FY27, at a free-on-board cost of A$590/ton.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
But viewed less as a dip starter and more as a flavor concentrate, its possibilities expand considerably.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
In short, it is unlikely that the global powers will suspend their rivalries in order to concentrate on the existential risks to mankind.
From MarketWatch • May 31, 2026
Ma was still chanting in a low voice behind the sari, and it was harder than ever for Neel to concentrate, especially on geometry.
From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
