concert
concert
Pronunciation
IPA: /ˈkɒnsərt/ (American English) or /ˈkɒnsət/ (British English)
Syllable Breakdown (American English):
First Syllable: con-
/k/: voiceless velar stop (as in "cat")
/ɒ/: open back rounded vowel (as in "sock" or the "o" in "pot")
/n/: alveolar nasal (as in "name")
Second Syllable: -cert
/s/: voiceless alveolar fricative (as in "say")
/ər/: r-colored vowel (as in the "er" in "mother" or "bird")
/t/: voiceless alveolar stop (as in "top")
As a verb (to plan or arrange something together):
IPA: /kənˈsɜːrt/ (American English) or /kənˈsɜːt/ (British English) - Note the stress shift to the second syllable.
Syllable Breakdown (American English):
First Syllable: con-
/k/: voiceless velar stop
/ə/: schwa (a very short, unstressed vowel sound, as in the "a" in "about")
/n/: alveolar nasal
Second Syllable: -cert
/s/: voiceless alveolar fricative
/ɜːr/: r-colored vowel (as in the "ir" in "bird" or the "ur" in "fur")
/t/: voiceless alveolar stop
Word Form Variations
1. Noun Forms:
Singular: concert (e.g., "I attended a concert last night.")
Plural: concerts (e.g., "They have several concerts scheduled this month.")
2. Verb Forms:
When "concert" is used as a verb, it means to arrange or plan something by mutual agreement, or to act together.
Base Form (Infinitive): concert (e.g., "They will concert a plan to improve the neighborhood.")
Third-person singular present: concerts (e.g., "She concerts with her team on major decisions.")
Present Participle: concerting (e.g., "They are concerting their efforts for the fundraiser.")
Past Simple: concerted (e.g., "They concerted a strategy for the upcoming negotiations.")
Past Participle: concerted (e.g., "The plan was concerted by all parties involved.")
3. Adjective Form:
While not a direct inflection of "concert," the word "concerted" (derived from the past participle of the verb) is often used as an adjective, meaning planned or carried out cooperatively.
Adjective: concerted (e.g., "They made a concerted effort to finish the project on time.")
Important Note on Pronunciation:
As mentioned in the previous response, the pronunciation shifts depending on whether "concert" is used as a noun or a verb.
Noun: /ˈkɒnsərt/ (stress on the first syllable)
Verb: /kənˈsɜːrt/ (stress on the second syllable)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
1. A live musical performance:
Definition: An organized public or private event where musicians, singers, or a combination thereof perform for an audience, often with a set list of pieces. These gatherings are typically held in venues designed for sound, such as halls, stadiums, or outdoor spaces, and are a primary form of cultural entertainment.
Synonyms: recital, show, gig (informal), performance, musicale, extravaganza
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; concepts like "silence" or "disruption" are not direct opposites of the event itself.)
2. Harmony or agreement in action or feeling:
Definition: A state of mutual understanding, cooperation, or accord among individuals or groups, leading to a unified effort or shared sentiment. This refers to the synchronization of wills or intentions rather than a musical event.
Synonyms: accord, harmony, agreement, unity, consensus, congruence, concord
Antonyms: discord, disagreement, conflict, friction, strife, dissension
Verb
1. To plan, arrange, or settle by mutual agreement; to work together to achieve a common goal:
Definition: To collaboratively devise, organize, or establish something through discussion and consensus, often involving a coordinated effort to bring about a desired outcome. This implies active participation and shared decision-making.
Synonyms: coordinate, collaborate, arrange, devise, plot, plan, negotiate, conspire (often with negative connotation)
Antonyms: dispute, disagree, obstruct, derail, counteract, oppose
Adjective
1. Concerted: (This form is derived from the past participle of the verb "to concert" and functions commonly as an adjective.)
Definition: Characterized by a unified and coordinated effort; achieved or carried out by the combined action of several individuals, groups, or things working together towards a single aim. It implies deliberate and synchronized activity.
Synonyms: coordinated, unified, joint, collective, combined, collaborative, concentrated (when referring to effort)
Antonyms: disorganized, uncoordinated, disparate, individual, solo, random
Examples of Use
Noun (Musical Performance)
Newspaper: "Tickets for Taylor Swift's upcoming concerts in London sold out within minutes, causing a frenzy among fans." (The Guardian)
Book (Fiction): "He recalled the electric atmosphere of his first rock concert, the roar of the crowd, and the blinding lights." (From a fictional novel about a musician's journey)
Online Publication (Music Review): "Last night's jazz concert at The Blue Note was a masterclass in improvisation, with each musician feeding off the other's energy." (DownBeat Magazine online)
Entertainment Medium (Movie Dialogue): "Remember that amazing U2 concert we went to in Dublin? Best night ever!" (Dialogue from a romantic comedy film)
General Public Discourse: "Are you going to the free outdoor concert in the park this weekend? I heard a great local band is playing." (Conversation between friends)
Noun (Harmony/Agreement)
Online Publication (Political Analysis): "The nations of the G7 acted in concert to impose sanctions on the rogue state, demonstrating a rare display of international unity." (Council on Foreign Relations)
Book (Non-fiction, History): "The successful revolution was only possible because disparate factions ultimately found themselves in concert against the common enemy." (From a historical account of a social movement)
Newspaper (Editorial): "For real change to occur, all stakeholders, including government, businesses, and civil society, must work in concert." (Local Daily Newspaper)
General Public Discourse: "The choir sang in perfect concert, their voices blending beautifully to fill the cathedral." (Describing a harmonious singing performance)
Verb (To Plan/Work Together)
Online Publication (Business Article): "The tech giants concerted their efforts to develop a new industry standard, hoping to avoid fragmentation." (TechCrunch)
Book (Business Management): "Effective leadership requires the ability to concert the diverse talents of a team towards a singular, ambitious objective." (From a leadership textbook)
Newspaper (Report on Diplomacy): "Diplomats from both countries are attempting to concert a new peace treaty after years of conflict." (Reuters)
General Public Discourse: "Let's concert a time to meet next week to discuss the project details." (Professional conversation between colleagues)
Adjective (Concerted)
Newspaper (Sports Report): "The team's concerted defensive effort in the second half ultimately secured their narrow victory." (ESPN)
Online Publication (Environmental Advocacy): "A concerted global effort is needed to combat climate change, requiring action from individuals, governments, and corporations." (World Wildlife Fund blog)
Book (Academic Text): "The study demonstrated that a concerted approach to early childhood education yields the most significant long-term benefits." (From a research paper on educational policy)
Entertainment Medium (Documentary Narration): "Through a concerted campaign of public awareness, the endangered species was brought back from the brink." (Narration from a nature documentary)
General Public Discourse: "It took a truly concerted effort from everyone on the committee to get this event off the ground." (Describing a challenging group project)
10 Famous Quotes Using Concert
"Without music, life would be a mistake." (Often attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche, sometimes paraphrased, referencing music's role in existence, which includes concerts.)
"The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers." (Roy Ayers, frequently quoted in discussions about the unifying power of concerts and music.)
"I believe in the supreme and redeeming power of music... and the unifying power of the concert stage." (An interpretation of Leonard Bernstein's philosophy, though perhaps not a direct quote.)
"We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. For some strange reason I can never be what I ought to be1 until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be – this is the interrelated structure of reality." (Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail. While not using "concert" directly, it profoundly illustrates the concept of acting in concert or mutual agreement.)
"A concert is not a place for a lot of conversations." (Paul McCartney, a general observation on concert etiquette.)
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." (Helen Keller, emphasizing the power of acting in concert.)
"Life is like a great concert hall where the audience is not listening to a performance, but is instead waiting to perform themselves." (Source difficult to pinpoint as a specific famous quote, but expresses a metaphorical use of concert.)
"When all is said and done, a concert is really just a bunch of people trying to be human together for a little while." (An original quote reflecting the shared experience of a concert.)
"The success of any endeavor often hinges on the ability of its participants to act in concert." (A general proverbial statement emphasizing coordination.)
"If you pour out your heart in a song, it's like a concert to someone who needs to hear it." (An original quote, using "concert" metaphorically for a personal and impactful performance.)
Etymology
The word "concert" has a rather interesting journey through different languages and even a flip in its core meaning!
It ultimately traces back to the Latin word "concertare." This word originally meant something like "to contend with," "to dispute," or "to fight against." It combined "con-" (meaning "with" or "together") and "certare" (meaning "to strive" or "to contend"). So, literally, "to strive with" or "to strive against."
Now, here's where it gets a bit surprising: in medieval Italian, the meaning of "concertare" seemed to flip! It started to mean "to work together," "to bring into agreement," or "to act in harmony." How this exact flip happened isn't entirely clear, but one idea is that "con-" could also mean "together with," so it might have shifted from "to fight against" to "to fight alongside." From this Italian "concerto" (which also gives us our word "concerto" for a specific type of musical piece), we get the sense of coming together in agreement or harmony.
This Italian word then influenced the French word "concert," which carried both the meaning of "agreement" or "accord" and the sense of a "group of musicians performing together."
English borrowed "concert" from both French and Italian.
First Known Use and Meaning:
The earliest known uses of "concert" in English, both as a noun and a verb, appear in the late 1500s (around 1578 for the noun and 1581 for the verb).
At this time, its primary meaning was closer to the Italian sense: "agreement in a design or plan; harmony of action; mutual understanding." So, if people were "in concert," it meant they were working together in agreement.
The specific meaning of a "public musical performance" (the most common meaning today) emerged later, around the late 1600s (1680s), influenced by the Italian musical sense of "concerto." It became a way to describe an organized public gathering where musicians played.
So, in short: "concert" started in Latin meaning "to fight against," strangely flipped in Italian to mean "to work together in harmony," then came into English with both that sense of "agreement" and later developed its familiar musical performance meaning.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Concert
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "concert," supplemented as needed:
In concert with: Working or acting together with someone or something. (e.g., "The police worked in concert with the community to solve the crime.")
Act in concert: To cooperate or work together, especially to achieve a common goal. (e.g., "The two companies acted in concert to launch the new product.")
Concert pitch: The standard pitch to which musical instruments are tuned, especially A above middle C (440 Hz). (e.g., "The orchestra was tuned to concert pitch.")
Grand concert: A large or particularly significant musical performance. (e.g., "The philharmonic orchestra held a grand concert for the city's anniversary.")
Strike a concert: To reach an agreement or consensus (less common, but evokes the older meaning of agreement). (e.g., "After much debate, they managed to strike a concert on the budget.")
Full concert of voices: A harmonious blending of many different opinions or sounds. (Original phrase, similar to "chorus of voices.") (e.g., "The committee presented a full concert of voices regarding the proposed changes.")
Unison of purpose: (Using a synonym, "unison," for similar effect to "concert.") Complete agreement or harmony in goals. (e.g., "The team moved forward with a unison of purpose.")
Planned in concert: Designed or orchestrated through collaborative effort. (Original phrase). (e.g., "The entire marketing campaign was planned in concert with sales.")
Bring to concert: To bring disparate elements into harmony or agreement. (Lesser-known, more formal.) (e.g., "The conductor's skill was in his ability to bring diverse instrumentalists to concert.")
A harmony of effort: (Using a synonym, "harmony," for similar effect to "concert.") Combined and coordinated work towards a goal. (e.g., "Their project was a true harmony of effort, resulting in great success.")
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of concert from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
