concerned
Americanadjective
-
interested or affected.
concerned citizens.
-
troubled or anxious.
a concerned look.
-
having a connection or involvement; participating.
They arrested all those concerned in the kidnapping.
adjective
-
(postpositive) interested, guilty, involved, or appropriate
I shall find the boy concerned and punish him
-
worried, troubled, or solicitous
Other Word Forms
- concernedly adverb
- concernedness noun
- underconcerned adjective
Etymology
Origin of concerned
Explanation
If you're concerned, you're feeling worried. When your clumsy friend announces his plans to become a stunt double, you should be concerned for his safety, and if you're not, you're a lousy friend. The adjective concerned has roots in Latin terms for seeing clearly, as well as for being in relation to something. If you feel concerned, say for your neighbor who just bet his savings on a horse race, that's because you truly care for his well-being and you see that he's doing something stupid. Sometimes we use concerned to show the limits of our investment. As far as you are concerned, Madame X can jump off a cliff! You don't care!
Vocabulary lists containing concerned
Workshop 2, Part 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Words to Capture Tone, List 11
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Investors hoped the company would appeal to environmentally-conscious and vegetarian-curious consumers — or with anyone concerned about the meat industry and animal welfare — and take off in a fashion similar to plant-based milk.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026
I am concerned that the intensity of this interaction is causing you real and significant pain.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
"You've got to remember that land managers and farmers who may be most concerned about being impacted, have very intensive periods of seasonal activity - times when they can't necessarily engage effectively in any consultation."
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
She’s not as concerned with settling differences as with understanding the thoughts and emotions animating the clashes of her divergent characters.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
I’ve never known Katherine to be that concerned about me getting sick.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
