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
Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023
Beyond concentrating on specific teams, organizations like the AP and BBC are training journalists throughout the world in some of these techniques.
—David Bauder, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023
The filling is roasted first to draw out and concentrate the apple juices, ensuring soft, cooked fruit and a fully baked bottom crust in the finished pie.
—Claire Saffitz, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Long-term exposures can lead to irritability, lethargy, fatigue, muscle aches or muscle prickling/burning, occasional abdominal discomfort, constipation, difficulty concentrating, muscular exhaustibility, tremor, or weight loss.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 6 Nov. 2023
The company has concentrated its physical store ambitions on its grocery outlets, including Amazon Fresh stores and Whole Foods Market.
—Sebastian Herrera, WSJ, 2 Nov. 2023
The testers were to hold the can 6 to 8 inches from their hair to avoid concentrating the product too much and causing a sticky effect.
—Rebecca Norris, Peoplemag, 1 Nov. 2023
The theater's April announcement on the season change also included news that Trice, whose title had been executive artistic director, would be handing over artistic duties to Martin and concentrate on administration, finance and marketing.
—Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2023
During the years that DeLonge and Hoppus were at odds, Barker concentrated on developing other new skills.
—Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023
Furthermore, technological advancements have improved extraction methods, leading to higher-quality cannabis concentrates and oils.
—Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2023
Plans call for a cannabis beverage garden, joint rolling stations and dab bars to burn concentrates.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023
In the case of pressure washers, pour the concentrate into the machine’s tank.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 16 Aug. 2023
This has led to an increase in the availability of delta 8 products on the market, including edibles, concentrates, and vape cartridges.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2023
Such markets offer a variety of products that differ in mediums — like flower, vapes, topicals, edibles, concentrates and tinctures — as well as potency, effects, onset time, quality and aesthetics (branding and marketing).
—Niklas Kouparanis, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2023
Delta 8 comes in various forms such as vape cartridges, edibles, tinctures, or concentrates.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 31 Aug. 2023
The starter kit contains a 14-ounce spray bottle and two 1-ounce glass bottles of concentrate.
—Carolyn Forté, Good Housekeeping, 15 Aug. 2023
See More
Verb
The once nearly all-White district is now 15.5 percent Asian, according to the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project, growth that is largely concentrated in the vote-heavy Loudoun County area.
—Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023
Beyond concentrating on specific teams, organizations like the AP and BBC are training journalists throughout the world in some of these techniques.
—David Bauder, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023
The filling is roasted first to draw out and concentrate the apple juices, ensuring soft, cooked fruit and a fully baked bottom crust in the finished pie.
—Claire Saffitz, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Long-term exposures can lead to irritability, lethargy, fatigue, muscle aches or muscle prickling/burning, occasional abdominal discomfort, constipation, difficulty concentrating, muscular exhaustibility, tremor, or weight loss.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 6 Nov. 2023
The company has concentrated its physical store ambitions on its grocery outlets, including Amazon Fresh stores and Whole Foods Market.
—Sebastian Herrera, WSJ, 2 Nov. 2023
The testers were to hold the can 6 to 8 inches from their hair to avoid concentrating the product too much and causing a sticky effect.
—Rebecca Norris, Peoplemag, 1 Nov. 2023
The theater's April announcement on the season change also included news that Trice, whose title had been executive artistic director, would be handing over artistic duties to Martin and concentrate on administration, finance and marketing.
—Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2023
During the years that DeLonge and Hoppus were at odds, Barker concentrated on developing other new skills.
—Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Noun
To prepare, simply mix one part of the chai concentrate with one part milk (or a milk alternative) and enjoy hot or iced.
—Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023
Furthermore, technological advancements have improved extraction methods, leading to higher-quality cannabis concentrates and oils.
—Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2023
Plans call for a cannabis beverage garden, joint rolling stations and dab bars to burn concentrates.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023
In the case of pressure washers, pour the concentrate into the machine’s tank.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 16 Aug. 2023
This has led to an increase in the availability of delta 8 products on the market, including edibles, concentrates, and vape cartridges.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2023
Such markets offer a variety of products that differ in mediums — like flower, vapes, topicals, edibles, concentrates and tinctures — as well as potency, effects, onset time, quality and aesthetics (branding and marketing).
—Niklas Kouparanis, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2023
Delta 8 comes in various forms such as vape cartridges, edibles, tinctures, or concentrates.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 31 Aug. 2023
The starter kit contains a 14-ounce spray bottle and two 1-ounce glass bottles of concentrate.
—Carolyn Forté, Good Housekeeping, 15 Aug. 2023
See More
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 30 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
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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