concave

1 of 2

adjective

con·​cave kän-ˈkāv  ˈkän-ˌkāv 

1

: hollowed or rounded inward like the inside of a bowl

a concave lens

2

: arched in : curving in

—used of the side of a curve or surface on which neighboring normals to the curve or surface converge and on which lies the chord joining two neighboring points of the curve or surface

concave

2 of 2

noun

con·​cave ˈkän-ˌkāv 

: a concave line or surface

Synonyms

Adjective

• hollow
• sunken
• depressed
• cupped

Examples of concave in a Sentence

Adjective

a concave lens

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In particular, the concave deck feels a lot like a skateboard and allows for better board feel and control—enabling Payne to do actual kick-flips on the wave. —Rob Reed, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

The bell and diaphragm devices have a wide, flat side for high frequencies and a smaller, concave side for low frequencies. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2025

Noun

Place rounded dough on the table, and using your hand, create a concave shape and gently cup your hand over the dough ball. —Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025

According to the firm, the larger prototype includes a 1,485-square-foot (138 square meters) heliostat made of 40 movable mirrors that track the sun and reflect its rays towards a 32-foot-wide (10 meters) concave dish concentrator. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Latin concavus, from com- + cavus hollow — more at cave

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1552, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing concave

• convexo-concave
• plano-concave

Rhymes for concave

• agave
• behave
• conclave
• enclave
• engrave
• enslave
• forgave
• landgrave
• margrave
• shortwave
• aftershave
• architrave

Kids Definition

concave

adjective

con·​cave

kän-ˈkāv,

ˈkän-ˌkāv

: hollowed or rounded inward like the inside of a bowl

concave lens

concavity

kän-ˈkav-ət-ē

noun

Medical Definition

concave

adjective

con·​cave kän-ˈkāv, ˈkän-ˌ 

: hollowed or rounded inward like the inside of a bowl