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.
“The core anime fan is very passionate and engaged, and they talk about their fandom, which brings concentric circles of other viewers into the ecosystem,” said Purini.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
The monitor had been designed with screws in the back that had 25 concentric circles machined into their flat heads to make them sparkle as light passed over them.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
The frolicking angels populate concentric bands of other clouds that extend upward.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
Each vessel, known as a diatretum, started as a thick-walled glass form that was carefully carved into two concentric layers connected by thin glass bridges.
From Science Daily • Dec. 16, 2025
The instructor shut the door and told the drill to those of us remaining: We were to lock elbows and move in two concentric circles around him, one clockwise, the other counterclockwise.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
