concrete

1 of 3

adjective

con·​crete (ˌ)kän-ˈkrēt How to pronounce concrete (audio)
ˈkän-ˌkrēt,
kən-ˈkrēt How to pronounce concrete (audio)
1
: naming a real thing or class of things
the word poem is concrete, poetry is abstract
2
: formed by coalition of particles into one solid mass
3
a
: characterized by or belonging to immediate experience of actual things or events
b
: specific, particular
a concrete proposal
c
: real, tangible
concrete evidence
4
: relating to or made of concrete
a concrete wall
concretely adverb
concreteness noun

concrete

2 of 3

verb

concreted; concreting

transitive verb

1
a
: to form into a solid mass : solidify
b
2
: to make actual or real : cause to take on the qualities of reality
3
: to cover with, form of, or set in concrete
The statues were concreted to the ground.

concrete

3 of 3

noun

con·​crete ˈkän-ˌkrēt How to pronounce concrete (audio)
(ˌ)kän-ˈkrēt
1
: a mass formed by concretion or coalescence of separate particles of matter in one body
2
: a hard strong building material made by mixing a cementing material (such as Portland cement) and a mineral aggregate (such as sand and gravel) with sufficient water to cause the cement to set and bind the entire mass
3
: a waxy essence of flowers prepared by extraction and evaporation and used in perfumery

Did you know?

We can trace "concrete" back to the Latin verb concrescere, meaning "to grow together." Appropriately, when it first entered English "concrete" could mean "connected by growth." Logicians and grammarians also applied "concrete" to words that expressed a quality viewed as being united with the thing it describes. That in turn led to the sense of "concrete" which we now contrast with "abstract"—concrete words express actual things ("rock," "lizard, "harpsichord"), while abstract words express qualities apart from actual things ("bliss," "freedom," "turpitude"). It was not until the 19th century that the noun "concrete," and its related adjective, began to be used for the building material composed of cementing material and sand, gravel, or similar materials.

Examples of concrete in a Sentence

Adjective It's helpful to have concrete examples of how words are used in context. We hope the meetings will produce concrete results. Verb the mortar slowly concreted in the mold a choral work that concretes music and dance into a stunning theatrical experience
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Tony Tucci, chair and co-founder of CLAW, Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife, walks out of a cast concrete cave on a Laurel Canyon property. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 The car then plunged over the edge, landing onto a concrete divider on the 134 Freeway below and catching fire afterward, KABC-TV and CBS affiliate KCBS-TV reported. Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Budge said 12 or 13 5,000-pound concrete highway barriers will likely be installed to firm up walls. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 3 Mar. 2024 Construction workers will replace structural elements made of steel like joints, bearings and steel members, as well as concrete barriers for each bridge. The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 But Stapleton’s ability to make a giant concrete edifice seem like an intimate hootenanny with just an acoustic guitar and his deeply expressive voice was a rare accomplishment. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 In the tech sector, U.S. companies shed almost 16,000 workers in January alone, and many more companies across industries have already announced concrete plans for layoffs this year. Lindsay Kaplan, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Sturdy concrete government buildings like the National Assembly evoke the pyramidal design of a Maya temple, perched on an artificial mound where breezes could cool the structure. Simon Romero Alejandro Cegarra, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 In private conversations, European officials and diplomats often raise the idea of promising the Americans tougher action on China in return for supporting Ukraine and NATO — though few venture concrete steps. Souad Mekhennet, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2024
Verb
Reuters reported one member of the group concreted himself to the street while others stuck themselves to it, using what looked like to be the same method adopted in Thursday's airport disruptions. Peter Aitken, Fox News, 14 July 2023 These stipulations have helped concrete over huge chunks of America—there are between three and six car parking spaces per car in the US, numbering up to 2 billion in total, according to some estimates. Oliver Milman, WIRED, 7 Jan. 2023 Rigolon acknowledged that having a large area of irrigated turf is preferable to asphalt or concrete. Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 July 2022
Noun
The new alternative would use plastics from waste treated with oil and would limit cracking in concrete and weigh less. The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 Western toads and tree frogs thrive in the spring water that seeps from the base of an arched alcove fortified with concrete and then into a murky pond where carp cruise beneath a battered life-size rubber duck floating upside down. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Under an intense sun and 70-degree air temperatures, water slowly trickled out of the empty rink, flooding the surrounding concrete. Julie Bosman, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Speicher said a water main break on Baxter Avenue has been fixed, but the northbound lanes of the road are still closed while crews replace the concrete. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 But the flat-rate approach is not cast in concrete yet. Joe Rubino, The Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2024 Others welcomed the idea of having a stadium in an urban setting that wasn’t surrounded by a sea of concrete. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 22 Feb. 2024 Some of us prayed beneath the cherry trees or in the warm light coming off the living room or on the edges of the concrete, our faces, our fingers, almost touching the mud. Jamil Jan Kochai, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 After slabs of concrete were laid over the body and water was mixed into the fresh earth to seal the tomb, Iyas' guardian quickly prayed for the boy, alongside one gravedigger. NBC News, 13 Feb. 2024

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

Middle English concret "(of words) denoting a quality as adherent in a substance rather than in isolation," borrowed from Medieval Latin concrētus "composite, solidified, (of words) denoting a quality adherent in a substance rather than in isolation," going back to Latin, "formed, composite, condensed, solid," from past participle of concrēscere "to coalesce, condense, solidify, harden" — more at concrescence

Verb

borrowed from Latin concrētus, past participle of concrēscere "to coalesce, condense, solidify, harden" — more at concrescence

Noun

derivative of concrete entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1590, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of concrete was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near concrete

Cite this Entry

“Concrete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concrete. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

concrete

1 of 3 adjective
con·​crete (ˈ)kän-ˈkrēt How to pronounce concrete (audio) kən- How to pronounce concrete (audio)
ˈkän-ˌkrēt
1
: naming a real thing or class of things : not abstract
"book" is a concrete noun but "goodness" is not
2
a
: belonging to or based on actual experience
concrete examples
b
: material entry 1 sense 1, real
concrete evidence
3
ˈkän-ˌkrēt,
kän-ˈkrēt
: relating to or made of concrete
a concrete wall
concretely adverb
concreteness noun

concrete

2 of 3 verb
concreted; concreting
1
2
: to cover with, form of, or set in concrete

concrete

3 of 3 noun
con·​crete ˈkän-ˌkrēt How to pronounce concrete (audio)
(ˈ)kän-ˈkrēt
: a hard strong building material made by mixing cement, sand, and gravel or broken rock with water

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