concentrate
concentrate
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "concentrate" is /ˈkɒnsəntreɪt/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:
ˈkɒn:
/k/: Voiceless velar stop
/ɒ/: Open back rounded vowel (as in "lot")
/n/: Alveolar nasal
sən:
/s/: Voiceless alveolar fricative
/ə/: Schwa (mid-central vowel)
/n/: Alveolar nasal
treɪt:
/t/: Voiceless alveolar stop
/r/: Voiced alveolar approximant
/eɪ/: Diphthong (as in "face")
/t/: Voiceless alveolar stop
Word Form Variations
Concentrate" functions as both a verb and a noun. It also has related forms that serve as other parts of speech.
Verb Forms:
Base Form: concentrate (e.g., "Please concentrate on your work.")
Third-person singular present: concentrates (e.g., "She concentrates well under pressure.")
Present participle: concentrating (e.g., "He is concentrating on the task.")
Past tense: concentrated (e.g., "They concentrated their efforts.")
Past participle: concentrated (e.g., "The solution was highly concentrated.")
Noun Forms:
Singular: concentrate (e.g., "This juice is from a frozen concentrate.")
Plural: concentrates (e.g., "The factory produces various fruit concentrates.")
Related Forms:
Noun: concentration (e.g., "The noise affected his concentration.")
Adjective: concentrated (e.g., "That's a concentrated effort.")
Adjective: concentrative (less common, e.g., "a concentrative mind")
Adverb: concentratedly (e.g., "He focused concentratedly.")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb Definitions
To focus all one's attention or mental effort on a particular object or activity.
Synonyms: Focus, pay attention, apply oneself, immerse, study, ponder
Antonyms: Distract, wander, disperse, scatter, daydream, unfocus
To gather or bring together in one place; to collect.
Synonyms: Gather, collect, accumulate, converge, consolidate, mass, centralize
Antonyms: Disperse, scatter, spread, distribute, decentralize
(Of a substance) To increase the strength or proportion of a solute in a solution or mixture; to make less dilute.
Synonyms: Condense, thicken, reduce, intensify, distill
Antonyms: Dilute, weaken, thin, diffuse
Noun Definitions
A substance made by removing water or other diluting agents; a concentrated form of a substance.
Synonyms: Essence, extract, syrup, distillate, reduction
Antonyms: Dilution, solution, mixture (in a general sense)
(In mining or chemistry) A product that has been enriched in a desired component after processing to remove waste.
Synonyms: Ore (enriched), refined product, enrichment
Antonyms: Tailings, waste, residue
Examples of Use
Books
"It takes a great deal of devotion and a great deal of work to be a writer. It is not enough to be inspired. You must also concentrate." (Ernest Hemingway, often paraphrased from his advice on writing)
"The detective tried to concentrate on the minute details of the crime scene, searching for any overlooked clue." (Common in mystery novels)
Newspapers and Online Publications
"Students are advised to find a quiet environment to concentrate effectively during online classes." (The New York Times)
"The company plans to concentrate its resources on developing renewable energy technologies." (Reuters)
"Orange juice concentrate prices are expected to rise due to recent crop failures." (The Wall Street Journal)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms
Film: In Limitless (2011), the protagonist uses a drug that allows him to concentrate with superhuman clarity and focus.
Television: "To win this challenge, you need to concentrate on your breathing and maintain balance." (Heard on reality competition shows like Survivor)
Music: A musician might tell their bandmates, "Let's all concentrate on the rhythm section for this part."
Video Games: Many puzzle games or strategy games require players to concentrate intensely to solve challenges or plan moves.
General Public Discourse
"Can you please be quiet? I'm trying to concentrate!" (Common plea for silence)
"The doctor told me to drink less coffee, but I need it to concentrate at work." (Everyday conversation about focus)
"This brand of dish soap is a concentrate, so you only need a small amount." (Discussing household products)
"Let's concentrate our efforts on finishing this last task before the deadline." (Suggesting focused teamwork)
10 Quotes Using Concentrate
"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus." (Alexander Graham Bell)
"The power to concentrate was the most important thing. Living without this power would be like opening one's eyes without seeing anything." (Haruki Murakami)
"Concentration is the secret of strength." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power." (Tony Robbins)
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." (Buddha)
"I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time..." (Charles Dickens)
"My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn't prevent you doing well, and don't regret the things it interferes with." (Stephen Hawking)
"It is those who concentrate on but one thing at a time who advance in this world." (Og Mandino)
"Concentrate: you can't have it all." (Twyla Tharp)
"The joy of life is born of concentration. When you are having a cup of tea, the value of that experience depends on your concentration." (Thich Nhat Hanh)
Etymology
The word "concentrate" comes from the Late Latin word "concentrare," which meant "to bring to a common center." This Latin term is formed from "con-" (meaning "together" or "with") and "centrum" (meaning "center").
So, at its root, "concentrate" is about bringing things or attention together into one central point.
The first known use of "concentrate" in English, appearing around the mid-17th century, referred to the act of bringing or drawing towards a common center or point. This meaning quickly expanded to include focusing one's mental efforts or increasing the strength of a substance by removing diluting agents.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Concentrate
Here are some phrases and idioms using the word "concentrate" or its synonyms for similar effect:
Concentrate on: To focus attention or effort on a specific thing.
Example: "I need to concentrate on finishing this report."
Concentrate one's efforts: To direct all one's energy or resources towards a single goal.
Example: "The team decided to concentrate their efforts on product development."
Concentrate power: To centralize authority or control.
Example: "The new government sought to concentrate power in the capital."
Highly concentrated: Referring to a substance with a high proportion of its active ingredient.
Example: "This cleaning solution is highly concentrated; use sparingly."
Concentrate the mind: To make someone think very hard about something.
Example: "The imminent deadline certainly helps to concentrate the mind."
Focus in: (Using a synonym, meaning to direct attention narrowly).
Example: "Let's focus in on the key findings from the research."
Hone in: (An idiom meaning to move directly toward a target or to focus intently on something).
Example: "The radar system began to hone in on the distant signal."
Zero in on: (An idiom meaning to direct all attention or effort toward a specific target).
Example: "Detectives will zero in on the suspect's alibi."
Gather one's thoughts: (Meaning to collect and organize one's ideas, often before speaking or acting).
Example: "Before responding, she took a moment to gather her thoughts."
Put one's head down: (An idiom meaning to work hard and with concentration, often without distraction).
Example: "He told everyone to put their heads down and finish the task."
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.
