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 In the United States, the limit for a pilot is 0.04 blood alcohol concentration. Jennifer Hauser, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 According to the Code of Federal Regulations in the U.S., it is prohibited for pilots to fly if the alcohol concentration reaches 0.04 grams per deciliter in a blood or breath sample. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 The salt makes the soft material conductive, and high concentrations of salt could lead gels to adhere to electrodes within seconds. IEEE Spectrum, 19 Mar. 2024 Air quality sensors in almost a third of the region’s cities reported concentrations of fine particulate matter that were more than 10 times the WHO guideline. Delger Erdenesanaa, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 People began to have fewer children, and the high concentration of Catholic churches and schools in the area no longer fits the needs of residents. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 The plan was to send 60 state troopers to reinforce communities throughout South Florida, with a high concentration in Miami Beach, according to the governor. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024 Sleeping pills may come with side effects such as excessive drowsiness, problems with concentration, and sometimes allergic reactions. Sayaka Blickenderfer, Health, 16 Mar. 2024 None designated, tested lead concentration, 2.99 ppm. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024

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 29 Mar. 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
don't disturb my concentration
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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