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
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.
But she was less concerned about future risks than she was about losing me now.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Ironically, vulnerability is created by mechanisms that were introduced to reduce vulnerability,” said Huw Pill, the Bank of England’s chief economist, one of those growing concerned, in an interview.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Investors are concerned about how much time people are spending on Netflix compared to rivals like YouTube.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Fire chief Arnaud Fabre said the fire was slowing down but he added he was concerned about potential flare-ups with temperatures of up to 36C expected locally.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
I know how it’ll sound if I try: I’ll look like a crazy teenager while he looks the picture of a concerned father, the victim of his unruly teenage daughter.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
