concentrate
concentrate
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "concentrate" is /ˈkɒn.sən.treɪt/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:
con: /kɒn/
/k/ - voiceless velar stop
/ɒ/ - open-mid back rounded vowel
/n/ - alveolar nasal
cen: /sən/
/s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative
/ə/ - mid-central vowel (schwa)
/n/ - alveolar nasal
trate: /treɪt/
/t/ - voiceless alveolar stop
/r/ - alveolar trill or approximant
/eɪ/ - diphthong (mid-front to high-front)
/t/ - voiceless alveolar stop
Word Form Variations
concentrate (verb - present tense, singular)
concentrates (verb - present tense, third-person singular)
concentrated (verb - past tense, past participle; adjective)
concentrating (verb - present participle; gerund)
concentration (noun - singular, uncountable)
concentrations (noun - plural, countable)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb:
Definition 1: To focus one's attention or mental effort on something.
Synonyms: focus, attend, direct, apply oneself, be absorbed in, pore over, rivet on
Antonyms: distract, divert, ignore, neglect, daydream, be inattentive
Example: "I need to concentrate on this report."
Definition 2: To bring or direct to a common center or point; to converge.
Synonyms: converge, focus, center, bring together, collect, consolidate
Antonyms: disperse, scatter, distribute, diverge
Example: "The rays of the sun concentrated on the leaf."
Definition 3: To increase the strength or density of something by removing or reducing other components.
Synonyms: condense, intensify, strengthen, fortify, enrich, reduce
Antonyms: dilute, weaken, thin, lessen, disperse
Example: "The juice was concentrated by boiling."
Noun:
Definition 1: The action or power of concentrating; focused attention.
Synonyms: focus, attention, application, absorption, dedication, diligence
Antonyms: distraction, inattention, carelessness, negligence
Example: "Concentration is key to learning."
Definition 2: A substance that has been concentrated; a concentrated form of something.
Synonyms: extract, essence, distillate, reduction, composite, compound
Antonyms: dilution, mixture, blend, solution
Example: "This is a concentrate of orange juice."
Definition 3: The relative amount of a particular substance in a mixture or solution.
Synonyms: density, proportion, amount, level, quantity, strength
Antonyms: dilution, scarcity, insufficiency, lack
Example: "The concentration of salt in the water was high."
Adjective:
Definition: Existing in a concentrated form.
Synonyms: condensed, potent, strong, undiluted, pure, intense
Antonyms: diluted, weak, thin, impure, diffuse
Example: "We used concentrated juice to make the punch." (While less common than the verb or noun form, "concentrated" can function as an adjective.)
Examples of Use
Books:
"He told himself to concentrate on the road, to pay attention, but his mind kept drifting." (Stephen King, 11/22/63) - This shows the verb form used to describe focusing attention.
"The concentration of wealth in the hands of a few is a growing problem." (Thomas Piketty, Capital in the Twenty-First Century) - This uses the noun form referring to a high density or amount of something.
Newspapers/Online Publications:
"Investors are concentrating on the upcoming economic data." (Reuters) - Demonstrates the verb form in a business context.
"The city has a high concentration of tech companies." (Local News Website) - Shows the noun form referring to a density or clustering.
"Scientists have developed a new method to concentrate solar energy." (Science Daily) - Another example of the verb, this time related to intensifying something.
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
"You need to concentrate if you want to win this game." (Video Game Dialogue) - A common use of the verb in gaming contexts.
"The concentrate smells amazing!" (Reality TV Show about cooking) - Here, "concentrate" refers to a concentrated substance, like a flavoring.
"I can't concentrate with all this noise!" (Movie Dialogue) - Shows the verb used in everyday conversation.
General Public Discourse:
"I'm trying to concentrate on my work, please be quiet." (Common spoken phrase) - A typical example of the verb used in daily life.
"This juice is a concentrate, you need to add water." (Instruction on a product label) - Uses the noun form to describe a concentrated substance.
"The teacher told us to concentrate on the lesson." (Recounting a school experience) - Another common use of the verb in an educational setting.
10 Famous Quotes Using Concentrate
“The key to success is not in the volume of effort, but in the quality of concentration.” — Bruce Lee (paraphrased)
“Concentration is the secret of strength.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” — Mark Twain (implying the importance of concentrated attention)
“The greatest power is the power of concentration. It is the foundation of everything.” — James Allen (author of As a Man Thinketh)
“When you concentrate on the positive, the negative becomes irrelevant.” — Walt Disney (paraphrased)
“Concentrate on the task, not the obstacles in front of it.” — Original
“Concentration is the art of becoming one with the task at hand, of pushing all distractions into the periphery.” — Original
“To concentrate means to focus, but the true art is to focus with a heart full of passion.” — Original
“A focused mind is a magnet for success — but even the strongest magnets need to concentrate.” — Original
“Concentration is not about squeezing everything into your day. It’s about squeezing the most out of the moment.” — Original
Etymology
Let's break down the etymology of "concentrate" in a way that's easy to understand.
The word "concentrate" comes from Latin. It's built from a few parts:
"con-": This prefix means "together" or "with." Think of words like "connect" or "combine."
"centrum": This is the Latin word for "center." We see this in words like "central" or "eccentric."
So, if you put those together, "concentrate" literally means "to bring to a center" or "to bring together."
The first known use of the word in English was in the early 17th century. Initially, it was used to describe the action of bringing things together, especially in a physical sense, like rays of light converging. Over time, the meaning broadened to include focusing your attention or thoughts on something, which is the most common way we use it today. The idea is still the same – you're bringing your mental resources together onto one point or subject.
Think of it like focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass. The sun's rays are scattered, but when you concentrate them through the lens, they come together at a single, powerful point. The word "concentrate" captures that same idea, whether you're talking about light, juice, or your thoughts.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Concentrate
Phrases:
Concentrate on: This is the most common usage. "Concentrate on your studies," "Concentrate on the road." It simply means to focus your attention on something.
Concentrate one's efforts: Similar to above, but emphasizes the application of effort. "The team concentrated its efforts on the final game."
Concentrate fire: (Military context) To direct artillery fire at a single point.
Concentrate resources: To focus resources on a specific area or goal. "The company decided to concentrate resources on research and development."
Less Common/Figurative Idioms (or near-idioms):
Concentrate the mind: This isn't a standard idiom, but it's a perfectly understandable phrase that evokes the idea of mental focus.
Concentrate one's energy: Similar to "concentrate efforts," but perhaps implying a more personal or internal application of energy.
Original/Conceptual Phrases:
Concentrate the light of understanding: (Figurative) To bring clarity to a complex issue.
Concentrate the essence of: (Figurative) To capture the most important aspects of something. "He tried to concentrate the essence of the novel into a single paragraph."
A concentrate of experience: (Figurative) A small amount of something that contains a large amount of experience or knowledge.
Idioms with Synonyms (to capture the spirit of concentration):
Since direct idioms with "concentrate" are scarce, we can look at idioms related to focus or attention to get a similar idea:
Keep your eye on the ball: (Focus)
Pay attention: (Self-explanatory)
Be all ears: (Listening attentively)
Get down to brass tacks: (Focus on the essentials)
Zero in on: (Focus precisely)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of concentrate from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
