concert
Americannoun
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a public musical performance in which a number of singers or instrumentalists, or both, participate.
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a public performance, usually by an individual singer, instrumentalist, or the like; recital.
The violinist has given concerts all over the world.
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agreement of two or more individuals in a design or plan; combined action; accord or harmony.
His plan was greeted with a concert of abuse.
adjective
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designed or intended for concerts.
concert hall.
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performed at concerts.
concert music.
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performing or capable of performing at concerts.
a concert pianist.
verb (used with object)
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to contrive or arrange by agreement.
They were able to concert a settlement of their differences.
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to plan; devise.
A program of action was concerted at the meeting.
verb (used without object)
idioms
noun
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a performance of music by players or singers that does not involve theatrical staging Compare recital
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( as modifier )
a concert version of an opera
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agreement in design, plan, or action
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acting in a co-ordinated fashion with a common purpose
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(of musicians, esp rock musicians) performing live
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verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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concertsimple
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concertssimple
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have concertedperfect
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has concertedperfect
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am concertingprogressive
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are concertingprogressive
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is concertingprogressive
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have been concertingperfect progressive
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has been concertingperfect progressive
Past
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concertedsimple
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had concertedperfect
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was concertingprogressive
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were concertingprogressive
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had been concertingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of concert
1595–1605; (noun) < French < Italian concerto; see concerto; (v.) < French concerter < Italian concertare to organize, arrange by mutual agreement, perhaps parasynthetically from con with + certo certain; Latin concertāre ( see concertation) is remote in sense
Explanation
A concert is a performance by musicians or singers for an audience. If you're in the glee club, you know about singing in concerts, and maybe you've seen your favorite bands in concert, too. A concert usually doesn't involve theatrical staging. You can have a concert version of an opera, but that means the singers stand there and sing without sets or props, and without much acting or moving around. Less commonly, concert is a verb (accent on the second syllable), meaning to agree with others on something. That meaning shows up in the phrase in concert — your objections will carry more weight if you act in concert with your neighbors.
Vocabulary lists containing concert
Memorial Day Words
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The Federalist Papers, No. 10 by James Madison
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Vocabulary From the Ninth Democratic Debate, April 14, 2016
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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.
The original fit a jazz-radio playlist; this one might rapturously fill a concert hall.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
Here’s an idea for next year’s opening night gala: Reassemble these luminaries for a concert version of a musical and watch them scale new heights together.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026
A fleet company of dancers, choreographed and costumed by Spencer Liff, added to the dreamlike effect of a concert bookended by numbers from “A Chorus Line.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026
Some fans have called on concert promoter Live Nation and its ticketing partners to do more to guard against this.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
The best concert for me, without any doubt, was when the choir schoolchildren gave a performance for everyone.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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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.