concentric
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of concentric
1350–1400; Middle English consentrik < Medieval Latin concentricus. See con-, center, -ic
Explanation
Concentric describes something, like circles, that have a common center. Concentric is from the Latin word concentricus, from com ("together") plus centrum ("center" or "circle"). So, concentric things have a center in common. If you play darts, you aim for the smallest red dot of those colorful concentric circles. Although it's usually used to describe circles, ideas can also be concentric if they have a common point, such as when your dreams revolve around a concentric theme of flying. The opposite word is eccentric ("not having a common center") like that oddball neighbor you have nothing in common with.
Vocabulary lists containing concentric
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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Divergent
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Bless Me, Ultima
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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.
For that project, the engineers patterned a gel disk with grooves extending outward from its center and forming concentric circles.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
Each site features two concentric ring electrodes surrounding DNA molecules anchored at the center.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
At the summit is a streamlined nickel-chromium spire whose concentric curves and spiky windows quote the crown of the Statue of Liberty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
The monitor had been designed with screws in the back that had 25 concentric circles machined into their flat heads to make them sparkle as light passed over them.
From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026
Apart from the concentric ripples moving out across the pool, there was no sign of her.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
