concern
Americanverb (used with object)
-
concerns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
concerned,
past participle, past
-
concerning
present participle
-
to relate to; be connected with; be of interest or importance to; affect.
The water shortage concerns us all.
-
to interest or engage (used reflexively or in the passive, often followed by with orin ).
She concerns herself with every aspect of the business.
-
to trouble, worry, or disquiet.
I am concerned about his health.
- Synonyms:
- disturb
noun
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concerns
plural
-
something that relates or pertains to a person; business; affair.
Law is the concern of lawyers.
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a matter that engages a person's attention, interest, or care, or that affects a person's welfare or happiness.
The party was no concern of his.
- Synonyms:
- responsibility, burden
-
worry, solicitude, or anxiety.
to show concern for someone in trouble.
- Antonyms:
- indifference
-
important relation or bearing.
This news is of concern to all of us.
-
a commercial or manufacturing company or establishment.
the headquarters of an insurance concern.
-
Informal. any material object or contrivance.
verb
-
to relate to; be of importance or interest to; affect
-
to involve or interest (oneself)
he concerns himself with other people's affairs
noun
-
something that affects or is of importance to a person; affair; business
-
regard for or interest in a person or a thing
he felt a strong concern for her
-
anxiety, worry, or solicitude
-
important bearing or relation
his news has great concern for us
-
a commercial company or enterprise
-
informal a material thing, esp one of which one has a low opinion
Usage
What is a basic definition of concern? Concern means to relate to or to affect, to interest or engage, or to worry. Concern also has several senses as a noun. If an issue or problem concerns someone, it means that it involves them or will affect them personally.
- Real-life examples: The price of gas concerns drivers. Stock market prices concern investors. Global warming concerns everyone.
- Used in a sentence: Our conversation doesn’t concern you, so leave us alone.
- Used in a sentence: Fires are the concern of the fire department.
- Real-life examples: You might concern yourself with your friend’s problem because you care about them. When you’re taking a test, your teacher might remind students to be concerned only with their own papers. Your parents concern themselves with your health.
- Used in a sentence: Chuck doesn’t concern himself with other people’s problems.
- Used in a sentence: What my neighbors do to their lawn is no concern of mine.
- Real-life examples: You might be concerned about your grades. Politicians are often concerned about whether voters will keep voting for them. Your friend might be concerned about whether you both make the basketball team.
- Used in a sentence: Her brother’s failing health really concerns Joelene, and she has been losing sleep over it.
- Used in a sentence: We try to ease parents’ concern by showing them that the school is completely safe and monitored.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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concernsimple
-
concernssimple
-
have concernedperfect
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has concernedperfect
-
am concerningprogressive
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are concerningprogressive
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is concerningprogressive
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have been concerningperfect progressive
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has been concerningperfect progressive
Past
-
concernedsimple
-
had concernedperfect
-
was concerningprogressive
-
were concerningprogressive
-
had been concerningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of concern
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English concernen, from Middle French concerner, from Medieval Latin concernere “to relate to, distinguish,” from Late Latin: “to mix for sifting,” from Latin con- con- + cernere “to decide, separate, sift”
Explanation
Concern is both a noun and a verb. As a noun it's something that you find particularly important. If you love pizza, getting the crust just so is a major concern during your pizza party. Concern can also be something or someone that makes you upset or anxious, like your concern over the quality of the pizza crust. It can be a feeling of sympathy, like when your mom expresses concern over your obsession with pizza crust. As a verb, concern means to be relevant to something. Your main goal today may concern studying for your math test. Concern can also describe worry. When you stay out past curfew, your mom will be concerned.
Vocabulary lists containing concern
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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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.
See Examples For:
Her concern was echoed by Maggie Evans, director of frontline services at abuse prevention charity Hourglass.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Another mosquito-borne disease of increasing concern in California is dengue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
That has added to concern about U.S. leadership in AI and Big Tech’s insatiable spending on AI infrastructure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
According to A/Prof Larcombe, increasing CO2 may need to be considered not only as an environmental concern, but also as a long-term public health factor that should be monitored.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
Blindness is always a concern with leprosy patients, but her vision is good.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Weaker-than-expected U.S. labor data and softer inflation prints eased concerns that the Federal Reserve will need to remain aggressively hawkish, ANZ Research analysts say in a report.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Kanin’s attorneys argue the disbursement delay was caused by incomplete records and due diligence concerns — worries further snarled by the so-called slayer statute barring Californians from inheriting from people they have killed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
He raised concerns about the "potential impact on high-value medical imaging equipment" and the "possibility of condensation forming within ventilation systems".
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
"It brought back the fear, anxiety, and despair we experienced at the height of war," she said, requesting anonymity for security concerns.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Ben claimed that it was really only a matter of knowing the right people to call, and the language in which to address their concerns.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
And I’m concerned we’re firmly into the added-leverage phase of the latest cycle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Investors are concerned that Alphabet faces a fresh threat from Nvidia’s plans to help fund the AI buildout alongside major Wall Street players.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Parents have been concerned about the school since the summer when executive director David Hussey and assistant principal in charge of athletics Devon Rose were ousted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
The union also said it was concerned that families may be particularly vulnerable during the summer holidays as children are not being seen by teachers in school.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
As far as the Incorrigibles were concerned, then, their tutor’s late arrival, bleak mood, and greedy appetite were all signs of a perfectly ordinary morning.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
U.S. stock-index futures were little changed on Sunday after a quiet week on Wall Street, as investors await hints from the Fed concerning the outlook for interest rates.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
Despite those limitations, researchers say the increase in cases involving predominantly young people is particularly concerning because younger generations tend to have greater digital literacy.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
The spokesperson added that "any unilateral actions or agreements concerning transshipped goods must not target or harm the interests of third parties."
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The numbers look somewhat less concerning under the surface.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
She and her brother, while hiding at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, had managed to solve an amazing mystery concerning a Renaissance statue, and Fadi admired her guts.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
