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.
Perhaps as a result, the event was defined by remarkable displays of security theater: Concentric rows of bicycle racks were used to herd prospective attendees through three magnetometers.
From Slate • Oct. 10, 2023
The Boca Raton, Florida-based firm was formed in 2017 out of a partnership between its Chief Executive Brendon Pantano, and private equity firms Summer Street Capital and Concentric Equity Partners.
From Reuters • Jun. 13, 2023
Friedman said the program is a partnership with two companies that take care of the testing and lab work — XpresCheck and Concentric by Ginkgo.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2023
She is a vice president of business development at Ginkgo Bioworks and head of innovation at Concentric by Ginkgo, where she specializes in using synthetic biology to combat diseases.
From Washington Times • Sep. 12, 2022
Concentric rings grew larger and larger on the dark water, then gradually disappeared.
From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
