concentration

noun

con·​cen·​tra·​tion ˌkän(t)-sən-ˈtrā-shən How to pronounce concentration (audio)
-ˌsen-
1
a
: the act or process of concentrating : the state of being concentrated
especially : direction of attention to a single object
All that noise is disturbing my concentration.
b
: an academic major or area of focus within a major
The student chose law as his concentration.
2
: a concentrated mass or thing
a concentration of wealth in the merchant class
3
: the amount of a component in a given area or volume
The ozone concentration in the lower stratosphere has declined.

Examples of concentration in a Sentence

All that noise is disturbing my concentration. The job required her full concentration. When you're tired it's easy to lose your concentration. There was a concentration on ethics within the agency. There is a concentration of wealth in the cities. He objects to the concentration of power in the hands of a few rich men.
Recent Examples on the Web Being multilingual can improve your concentration, boost your memory, and enhance your creativity! Stack Commerce, Popular Science, 24 Oct. 2024 There could be a risk of developing cancer if found in higher concentrations and people are exposed to them for extended periods, so the FDA has strict limits on its concentrations. Charna Flam, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024 There are two general approaches to carbon capture—increasing the concentration of CO2 in exhaust and finding a chemical compound that captures even dilute concentrations effectively. Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 In an October 2023 letter submitted to congressional committees focused on competition, the U.S. automotive industry raised concerns that such concentration of power over the materials needed for car production would cut into the profitability of their companies. Vincent Trometter, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for concentration 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concentration.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see concentrate entry 1

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of concentration was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near concentration

Cite this Entry

“Concentration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concentration. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

concentration

noun
con·​cen·​tra·​tion ˌkän(t)-sən-ˈtrā-shən How to pronounce concentration (audio)
-sen-
1
: the act or process of concentrating : the state of being concentrated
especially : direction of attention on a single object
2
: a concentrated mass
3
: the amount of an ingredient or part in relation to that of others : strength
the concentration of salt in a solution

Medical Definition

concentration

noun
con·​cen·​tra·​tion ˌkän(t)-sən-ˈtrā-shən, -ˌsen- How to pronounce concentration (audio)
1
: the act or action of concentrating: as
a
: a directing of the attention or of the mental faculties toward a single object
b
: an increasing of strength (as of a solute or a gas in a mixture) or a purifying by partial or total removal of diluents, solvents, admixed gases, extraneous material, or waste (as by evaporation or diffusion)
2
: a crude active principle of a vegetable especially for pharmaceutical use in the form of a powder or resin
3
: the relative content of a component (as dissolved or dispersed material) of a solution, mixture, or dispersion that may be expressed in percentage by weight or by volume, in parts per million, or in grams per liter
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