concrete

[ kon-kreet, kong-, kon-kreet, kong- for 1-10, 13-15; kon-kreet, kong- for 11, 12 ]

/ ˈkɒn krit, ˈkɒŋ-, kɒnˈkrit, kɒŋ- for 1-10, 13-15; kɒnˈkrit, kɒŋ- for 11, 12 /

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See synonyms for: concrete / concreted / concretes / concreting on Thesaurus.com

noun

an artificial, stonelike material used for various structural purposes, made by mixing cement and various aggregates, as sand, pebbles, gravel, or shale, with water and allowing the mixture to harden.Compare reinforced concrete.

any of various artificial building or paving materials, as those containing tar.

an idea, observation, term, or word having an actual or existent thing or instance as its referent, as opposed to its being abstract: Psychology is all about feelings and behavior, but I’m more interested in the concrete—and that’s why I became a surgeon.

a mass formed by coalescence or concretion of particles of matter.

adjective

constituting an actual thing or instance; real: concrete proof of his sincerity.

relating to or concerned with realities or actual instances rather than abstractions; particular (opposed to general): concrete ideas.

representing or applied to an actual substance or thing, as opposed to an abstract quality: The words “cat,” “water,” and “teacher” are concrete, whereas the words “truth,” “excellence,” and “adulthood” are abstract.

made of concrete: a concrete pavement;concrete lawn ornaments.

formed by coalescence of separate particles into a mass; united in a coagulated, condensed, or solid mass or state.

verb (used with object), con·cret·ed, con·cret·ing.

to treat or lay with concrete: to concrete a sidewalk.

to form into a mass by coalescence of particles; render solid: Of these two semiliquid solutions, which one do you think can be more easily concreted?

to make real, tangible, or particular.

verb (used without object), con·cret·ed, con·cret·ing.

to coalesce into a mass; become solid; harden: Has it started to concrete?

to use or apply concrete: We can’t begin concreting until all the forms have been installed.

OTHER WORDS FOR concrete

5 solid, factual, substantial.

See synonyms for concrete on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR concrete

5, 6 abstract.

See antonyms for concrete on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about concrete

set / cast in concrete. stone (def. 33).

Origin of concrete

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin concrētus (past participle of concrēscere “to coalesce, condense”), equivalent to con- con- + crē(scere) “to grow, increase” + -tus past participle suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM concrete

con·crete·ly, adverbcon·crete·ness, nouncon·cre·tive, adjectivecon·cre·tive·ly, adverb

un·con·crete, adjectiveun·con·crete·ly, adverbun·con·cret·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH concrete

cement, concrete , mortar

Words nearby concrete

concorporate, concours, concours d'élégance, concourse, concrescence, concrete, concrete jungle, concrete music, concrete noun, concrete number, concrete poet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use concrete in a sentence

It’s a decision thousands of people in the concrete jungle, and other urban centers, have had to make.
We need a COVID vaccine. We also need to figure out how to get it to people|Sy Mukherjee|August 27, 2020|Fortune
Most existing 3D printed buildings are made of an enriched and reinforced concrete mixture, but Mighty Buildings developed its own synthetic stone to print with.
These Sleek Houses Are 3D Printed, and They Fit in Your Backyard|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|August 13, 2020|Singularity Hub
We were able to include $300 million for the EPA to make concrete improvements to the local infrastructure to clean up these rivers.
No One Is Actually in Charge of Solving the Border Sewage Crisis|Dianne Feinstein|August 12, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Then different power companies might contract with different concrete companies, offering different prices or value of that work.
The City Is Walking a Fine Line in Demanding Millions From Its Next Power Provider|MacKenzie Elmer|August 7, 2020|Voice of San Diego

While the report may not offer much new information, it’s one of few concrete guidances available to US educators.
A new report suggests US schools can—and should—reopen safely|Alexandra Ossola|July 16, 2020|Quartz
As a writer, I tried mainly to stick close to the concrete particulars of the events and the performances I was describing.
How Richard Pryor Beat Bill Cosby and Transformed America|David Yaffe, Scott Saul|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Finally, I hope we can share concrete actions with those who attend, and want to help in the global LGBTI liberation struggle.
How Maurice Tomlinson Was Outed in Jamaica—and Forced Into Exile|Jay Michaelson|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was the most common and concrete opportunity to do unto others as you would wish to have done unto you.
Pope Bids Refugees to EU ‘Bienvenido’; Europe Says ‘Non’|Candida Moss|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What had seemed to be a theoretical and almost mythical project is just about to take concrete form.
China’s Nicaragua Canal Could Spark a New Central America Revolution|Nina Lakhani|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
D.C., but it is not likely to result in any concrete and meaningful action.
90 Seconds of Fury in Ferguson Are the Key to Making Peace in America|Michael Daly|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He will find that “Ice” is a concrete word, and “Slippery” indicates a quality of “Ice” and of other things.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
Then crouching low, he crossed the room to where the strainer top of the sewer drain was placed in the concrete floor.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
He crossed the room to the concrete ramp that twisted up to the second story.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
When Dr. McAllister drove into his yard he found a boy washing the concrete drives as calmly as if nothing had happened.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
But here it is arranged in temporal sequence, thus giving us a concrete view of the man and his relation to this society.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe

British Dictionary definitions for concrete

concrete

/ (ˈkɒnkriːt) /

noun

a construction material made of a mixture of cement, sand, stone, and water that hardens to a stonelike mass
(as modifier)a concrete slab

physics a rigid mass formed by the coalescence of separate particles

adjective

relating to a particular instance or object; specific as opposed to generala concrete example

relating to or characteristic of things capable of being perceived by the senses, as opposed to abstractions
(as noun)the concrete

formed by the coalescence of particles; condensed; solid

verb

(tr) to construct in or cover with concrete

(kənˈkriːt) to become or cause to become solid; coalesce

Derived forms of concrete

concretely, adverbconcreteness, nounconcretive, adjectiveconcretively, adverb

Word Origin for concrete

C14: from Latin concrētus grown together, hardened, from concrēscere; see concrescence

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

concrete

OTHER WORDS FOR concrete

OPPOSITES FOR concrete

Idioms about concrete

Origin of concrete

OTHER WORDS FROM concrete

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH concrete

Words nearby concrete

Words related to concrete

How to use concrete in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for concrete

Derived forms of concrete

Word Origin for concrete