Concentration
ˌkɒnsənˈtreɪʃən
Definitions
3 meaningsThe ability to direct one's attention to a single object or activity; the state of being focused.
ˌkɒnsənˈtreɪʃən
The action or power of focusing one's attention or mental effort.
He needs to improve his concentration if he wants to pass the exam.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're playing a video game, and to win, you have to totally focus on the screen, ignoring everything else. That focused effort? That's concentration. It's like when you're reading a really good book, and you don't even hear your mom calling you for dinner!
👶 For kids: When you're really, really thinking about something and nothing else. Like when you're building a super tall tower with blocks!
More Examples
The athlete's concentration wavered during the crucial moment.
The meditation practice aims to improve concentration.
How It's Used
"Students need good concentration to study effectively."
"Loss of concentration can be a symptom of stress."
"The project requires intense concentration from the team."
A gathering of people or things in a close group or area; the act of bringing together into a center or common point.
ˌkɒnsənˈtreɪʃən
The gathering of people or things close together.
The concentration of pollution in the city is a serious problem.
💡 Simply: Think of a group of people all standing close together, like at a concert. Or imagine a bunch of factories all in the same area. That's concentration - when things or people are gathered close together. Think of a big pile of leaves raked in one place.
👶 For kids: When a bunch of things or people are all in the same place. Like when all your friends are at the park!
More Examples
The military planned a concentration of forces for the offensive.
There was a high concentration of tourists in the city center.
How It's Used
"The army was ordered to avoid the concentration of troops near the border."
"The company has a concentration of factories in this region."
"The city is trying to alleviate the concentration of poverty in certain areas."
The amount of a substance in a given area or volume, often used in chemistry and related fields to describe the strength or intensity of a solution.
ˌkɒnsənˈtreɪʃən
The relative amount of a substance in a solution or mixture.
The laboratory measured the concentration of oxygen in the sample.
💡 Simply: Think of making lemonade: if you use a lot of lemon juice, you've got a high concentration of lemon flavor. This applies to other things too like if you add a lot of salt to water the salt concentration is high.
👶 For kids: How much stuff is mixed together. Like how strong the juice is in your juicebox!
More Examples
The higher the concentration of the chemical, the more dangerous it is.
The concentration of the perfume was very strong, so it was diluted.
How It's Used
"The concentration of the acid solution was very high."
"The juice concentrate has a high sugar concentration."
"Scientists measured the concentration of pollutants in the lake."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
concentration camp
A place where large numbers of people, especially political prisoners or members of persecuted minorities, are deliberately imprisoned in a relatively small area with inadequate facilities, sometimes to provide forced labor or to await mass execution.
"During World War II, many people were held in concentration camps."
loss of concentration
A decrease in the ability to focus or pay attention.
"The students experienced a loss of concentration due to the noise."
From Latin *concentratio*, from *concentrare* 'to center, bring to a center', from *con-* 'together' + *centrum* 'center'.
The word concentration has been used since the 16th century, originally in a more general sense of 'the action of bringing together', but gaining the sense of 'focusing one's mental powers' by the 19th century.
Memory tip
Think of focusing all your mental energy into one 'center' - that's concentration!
Word Origin
"to center, bring to a center"