concentrate

[ kon-suhn-treyt ]

verb (used with object)

, con·cen·trat·ed, con·cen·trat·ing.

1. to bring or draw to a common center or point of union; converge; direct toward one point; focus:

   to concentrate one's attention on a problem; to concentrate the rays of the sun with a lens.

   Antonyms: disperse, dissipate

2. to put or bring into a single place, group, etc.:

   The nation's wealth had been concentrated in a few families.

3. to intensify; make denser, stronger, or purer, especially by the removal or reduction of liquid:

   to concentrate fruit juice; to concentrate a sauce by boiling it down.

4. Mining. to separate (metal or ore) from rock, sand, etc., so as to improve the quality of the valuable portion.

verb (used without object)

, con·cen·trat·ed, con·cen·trat·ing.

1. to bring all efforts, faculties, activities, etc., to bear on one thing or activity (often followed by on or upon ):

   to concentrate on solving a problem.

   Antonyms: diverge

2. to come to or toward a common center; converge; collect:

   The population concentrated in one part of the city.

3. to become more intense, stronger, or purer.

noun

1. a concentrated form of something; a product of concentration:

   a juice concentrate.

concentrate

/ ˈkɒnsənˌtreɪt /

verb

1. to come or cause to come to a single purpose or aim

   to concentrate one's hopes on winning

2. to make or become denser or purer by the removal of certain elements, esp the solvent of a solution
3. tr to remove rock or sand from (an ore) to make it purer
4. introften foll byon to bring one's faculties to bear (on); think intensely (about)

noun

1. a concentrated material or solution

   tomato concentrate

Derived Forms

• ˈconcenˌtrator, noun

Other Words From

• con·cen·tra·tive [kon, -s, uh, n-trey-tiv, k, uh, n-, sen, -tr, uh, -], adjective
• concen·trative·ness noun
• concen·trator noun
• non·concen·trative adjective
• non·concen·trative·ness noun
• over·concen·trate verb overconcentrated overconcentrating
• pre·concen·trate noun verb preconcentrated preconcentrating
• re·concen·trate verb reconcentrated reconcentrating
• un·concen·trative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of concentrate¹

First recorded in 1630–40; from French concentr(er) or Italian concentr(are) ( con-, center ) + -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of concentrate¹

C17: back formation from concentration , ultimately from Latin com- same + centrum centre

Synonym Study

See contract.

Example Sentences

The devastation was concentrated on a handful of streets surveyed by state and county officials.

From Los Angeles Times

However, as his career as an MP neared its end, the headlines surrounding John Prescott concentrated on his private life.

From BBC

The new amendments inadvertently incentivize the growth of mega-dairies now disproportionately concentrated in the Central Valley, where land is cheaper than other parts of the state — a region already grappling with environmental and health challenges.

From Los Angeles Times

This is especially important in biodiverse tropical regions where sugar production is concentrated such as Brazil and India.

From Salon

La Niña seasons typically produce large numbers of atmospheric rivers, or narrow bands of concentrated water vapor in the sky that act like rivers in the sky.

From Salon

Related Words

• accumulate
• cluster
• combine
• consolidate
• eliminate
• focus
• integrate
• intensify
• reduce
• strengthen