concentric

American  

[kuhn-sen-trik] / kənˈsɛn trɪk /

Also concentrical

adjective

1. having a common center, as circles or spheres.

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concentric British  

/ kənˈsɛntrɪk, ˌkɒnsənˈtrɪsɪtɪ /

adjective

1. having a common centre Compare eccentric

   concentric circles

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Other Word Forms

• concentrically adverb
• concentricity noun
• nonconcentric adjective
• nonconcentrical adjective
• nonconcentrically adverb
• nonconcentricity noun
• unconcentric adjective
• unconcentrically adverb

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.

Example Sentences

Supporters of that idea pointed to its round shape, central peak, and surrounding concentric faults, which are often seen in known impact craters.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

Two bright beams stream outward from the star, lighting up fast-moving polar lobes that punch through older, slower rings of material arranged in concentric arcs.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2026

After doffing their shoes, presumably to protect the plush, vibrantly red carpet that covers the theater’s floor, audience members take seats arranged in concentric circles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

The frolicking angels populate concentric bands of other clouds that extend upward.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

Philosophy tells us that the universe consists of concentric spheres; the actual patterns made by the planets as they move through the heavens is a subject for astronomy, which is a sub-branch of mathematics.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton