concomitant

1 of 2

adjective

con·​com·​i·​tant kən-ˈkä-mə-tənt How to pronounce concomitant (audio)
kän-
: accompanying especially in a subordinate or incidental way
concomitantly adverb

concomitant

2 of 2

noun

con·​com·​i·​tant kən-ˈkä-mə-tənt How to pronounce concomitant (audio)
kän-
: something that accompanies or is collaterally connected with something else : accompaniment

Did you know?

Concomitant was introduced into English at a time when many people were criticizing the use of Latinate forms in favor of more "native" words from Old English. As a descendant of Latin concomitari ("to accompany") and ultimately of "comes," the Latin word for companion, "concomitant" may well have been initially derided as an ostentatious inkhorn term. Indeed, two associated words, the verb concomitate, meaning "to accompany," and another adjective, concomitaneous, meaning "of a concomitant nature," didn't survive to accompany "concomitant" into the 18th century.

Examples of concomitant in a Sentence

Adjective … Christopher Walken delivers his customary edge without any of his clichéd, concomitant weirdness. Stephen Whitty, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Feb. 1999
The Lincoln and Johnson plans for settling the problems of peace and freedom never seriously touched on the concomitant problem of equality. John Hope Franklin, "The Two Worlds of Race," 1965, in Race and History1989
But it was observed that this pill would be peculiarly bitter to the Southern States, and that some concomitant measure should be adopted to sweeten it a little to them. Thomas Jefferson 4 Feb. 1818, in Thomas Jefferson: Writings1984
The drug's risks increase with the concomitant use of alcohol. an improvement in the facilities led to a concomitant improvement in morale Noun In the local bickering which was a concomitant of the grand campaigns of the wars, there may have been considerable fighting around fortifications, even if on a relatively small and brief scale. Anthony Goodman, The War of the Roses, (1981) 1996
… there is a demand for schools, professional services, and such other concomitants of a full society as courthouses and jails. Anthony Bailey, New Yorker, 25 May 1987
hunger, a lack of education, and other concomitants of poverty disease is all too often one of the concomitants of poverty
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
My favorite was the dystopian one featured in the tour’s promotional, majestically capturing a Black, womanly otherworldliness concomitant with her performance. Julian Randall, Essence, 9 Oct. 2024 Yet amid a surge of Arab and African migration to Europe – and a concomitant rise in anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment – European acceptance of a nonwhite, Muslim-majority nation in its midst seems less likely than ever. Jorge Heine, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2024
Noun
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the concomitant rise in oil prices led to a 180-degree turn in Biden’s approach toward Riyadh. F. Gregory Gause Iii, Foreign Affairs, 2 Aug. 2024 It will be forgotten, on the one hand, that jealousy is the usual concomitant of love, and that the noble enthusiasm of liberty is apt to be infected with a spirit of narrow and illiberal distrust. Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 30 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for concomitant 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concomitant.' 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

Adjective and Noun

Latin concomitant-, concomitans, present participle of concomitari to accompany, from com- + comitari to accompany, from comit-, comes companion — more at count

First Known Use

Adjective

1607, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1621, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of concomitant was in 1607

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Dictionary Entries Near concomitant

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

concomitant

adjective
con·​com·​i·​tant
kən-ˈkäm-ət-ənt,
kän-
: accompanying especially as something of less importance
concomitant noun
concomitantly adverb

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