con·cen·trate
ˈkän(t)-sən-ˌtrāt 
-ˌsen-
concentrated; concentrating
1
a
: to bring or direct toward a common center or objective : focus
concentrate one's efforts
The lenses concentrate sunlight.
b
: to gather into one body, mass, or force
Power was concentrated in a few able hands.
concentrate the energy of a sound wave
c
: to accumulate (a toxic substance) in bodily tissues
Fish concentrate mercury.
2
a
: to make less dilute
concentrate syrup
b
: to express or exhibit in condensed form
1
: to draw toward or meet in a common center
3
: to focus one's powers, efforts, or attention
concentrate on a problem
Farmers are concentrating on the wheat harvest.
1
: something concentrated: such as
a
: a mineral-rich product obtained after an initial processing of ore
b
: a food reduced in bulk by elimination of fluid
orange juice concentrate
2
: a feedstuff (such as grains) relatively rich in digestible nutrients compare fiber
Synonyms
Examples of concentrate in a Sentence
Verb
All that noise makes it hard to concentrate.
The student has difficulty concentrating.
The sauce should be simmered for a few minutes to concentrate its flavors.
Noun
a frozen orange juice concentrate
Is this orange juice fresh or is it made from concentrate?
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
While the rising heat is usually concentrated across plain and coastal regions which are more vulnerable to its impact, experts note that hilly states in the south aren’t immune to higher temperatures, either.
—Astha Rajvanshi, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
The threat of tornadoes is expected to largely concentrate on the Gulf Coast on Wednesday, before shifting to the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic region on Thursday, according to AccuWeather.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Though most industries added jobs last month, hiring was mainly concentrated in three categories: Health care and private education, leisure and hospitality and government accounted for nearly 69% of the hiring.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 6 Apr. 2024
Ignazio: The Japanese close their eyes to concentrate.
—Billboard Italy, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
Not getting enough sleep will leave you feeling tired, unable to concentrate, and lacking energy.
—Carol Lee, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Symptoms are said to vary in type and severity but often are reported to include the sudden onset of severe headaches, difficulty concentrating, auditory disturbances and memory loss.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2024
Precision Wiring The wiring pattern in the cerebellum is precisely organized and compacted to concentrate three-quarters of the brain’s neurons into a 4-inch lobe.
—R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2024
Alaina Chou, Bon Appétit, 8 Apr. 2024
At the same grove where the oranges were harvested, there was a plant to produce frozen orange juice concentrate.
—Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2024
The chips will also have a higher concentrate Madagascar vanilla extract.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
Many use concentrates or powders – Starbucks’ popular chai latte is made with pumps of chai concentrate.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
So when that comes on stream, that will be a wonderful opportunity for American companies, who may not be able at that moment or may not want to invest in a full processing stream, to sell concentrate to Lynas’ processing facility in Texas.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Dec. 2023
Formulated from a supercharged blend of novel anti-pigmentation actives at 14% concentration and 8 natural antioxidants sourced from the Swiss Alps, this potent concentrate works against the appearance of all types of dark spots and imperfections.
—Angela Lei, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
Baby formula is available in powdered form, liquid concentrate, or ready-to-use liquid.
—Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024
The lead concentrate is expected to contain 47% lead and average 3,140 g/t silver over the LOM.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
When portraying such deeply sensitive issues, Green and Abela chose to simply concentrate on the small things.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
While the rising heat is usually concentrated across plain and coastal regions which are more vulnerable to its impact, experts note that hilly states in the south aren’t immune to higher temperatures, either.
—Astha Rajvanshi, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
The threat of tornadoes is expected to largely concentrate on the Gulf Coast on Wednesday, before shifting to the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic region on Thursday, according to AccuWeather.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Though most industries added jobs last month, hiring was mainly concentrated in three categories: Health care and private education, leisure and hospitality and government accounted for nearly 69% of the hiring.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 6 Apr. 2024
Ignazio: The Japanese close their eyes to concentrate.
—Billboard Italy, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
Not getting enough sleep will leave you feeling tired, unable to concentrate, and lacking energy.
—Carol Lee, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Symptoms are said to vary in type and severity but often are reported to include the sudden onset of severe headaches, difficulty concentrating, auditory disturbances and memory loss.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2024
Precision Wiring The wiring pattern in the cerebellum is precisely organized and compacted to concentrate three-quarters of the brain’s neurons into a 4-inch lobe.
—R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2024
Noun
And while the main active ingredient in most of these is the same—either whey protein concentrate or whey protein isolate—these powders can actually vary quite a lot in taste and texture depending on what other flavorings, sweeteners, and supplements are added to the mix.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appétit, 8 Apr. 2024
At the same grove where the oranges were harvested, there was a plant to produce frozen orange juice concentrate.
—Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2024
The chips will also have a higher concentrate Madagascar vanilla extract.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
Many use concentrates or powders – Starbucks’ popular chai latte is made with pumps of chai concentrate.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
So when that comes on stream, that will be a wonderful opportunity for American companies, who may not be able at that moment or may not want to invest in a full processing stream, to sell concentrate to Lynas’ processing facility in Texas.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Dec. 2023
Formulated from a supercharged blend of novel anti-pigmentation actives at 14% concentration and 8 natural antioxidants sourced from the Swiss Alps, this potent concentrate works against the appearance of all types of dark spots and imperfections.
—Angela Lei, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
Baby formula is available in powdered form, liquid concentrate, or ready-to-use liquid.
—Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024
The lead concentrate is expected to contain 47% lead and average 3,140 g/t silver over the LOM.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concentrate.' 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
Verb and Noun
com- + Latin centrum center
First Known Use
Verb
1628, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing concentrate
Dictionary Entries Near concentrate
Cite this Entry
“Concentrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concentrate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
concentrate
1 of 2 verb
con·cen·trate
ˈkän(t)-sən-ˌtrāt
-sen-
concentrated; concentrating
1
a
: to bring, direct, or come toward or meet in a common center or objective
concentrate one's efforts
b
: to gather into one body, mass, or force
2
: to increase the amount of a substance in a space by removing other substances with which it is mixed or in which it is dissolved
concentrate syrup
concentrate ore
3
: to fix one's powers, efforts, or attention on one thing
concentrate on a problem
concentrator
noun
-ˌtrāt-ər
concentrate
2 of 2 noun
: something concentrated
frozen orange juice concentrate
Medical Definition
concentrate
1 of 2 verb
con·cen·trate
ˈkän(t)-sən-ˌtrāt, -ˌsen-
concentrated; concentrating
1
a
: to bring or direct toward a common center or objective : focus
b
: to accumulate (a toxic substance) in bodily tissues
fish concentrate mercury
2
: to make less dilute
concentrate syrup
: to fix one's powers, efforts, or attention on one thing
concentrate on a problem
concentrate
2 of 2 noun
: something prepared by concentration
especially
: a food reduced in bulk by elimination of fluid
orange juice concentrate
More from Merriam-Webster on concentrate
Nglish: Translation of concentrate for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of concentrate for Arabic Speakers
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