concern

1 of 2

verb

con·cern kən-ˈsərn

concerned; concerning; concerns

Synonyms of concern next

transitive verb

: to relate to : be about

The novel concerns three soldiers.

The report concerns global warming.

: to bear on

: to have an influence on : involve

also : to be the business or affair of

The problem concerns us all.

This conversation does not concern you.

: to be a care, trouble, or distress to

Her ill health concerns me.

Her son's frequent tantrums concerned her.

: engage entry 1, occupy

He concerns himself with trivia.

She refused to concern herself with such gossip.

intransitive verb

obsolete : to be of importance : matter

concern

2 of 2

noun

: marked interest or regard usually arising through a personal tie or relationship

Their friend's health is a constant cause of concern.

: an uneasy state of blended interest, uncertainty, and apprehension

The actor's sudden collapse on stage caused concern.

: something that relates or belongs to one : affair

It's no concern of yours.

: matter for consideration

Immigration had become a concern to Congress.

: a matter that causes feelings of unease, uncertainty, or apprehension

health/safety concerns

"Just throw it into the sun!" That phrase has long been the seemingly easy answer to … very serious concerns about what to do with nuclear waste.—

Dave Trumbore

: an organization or establishment for business or manufacture

a banking concern

a commercial concern

: contrivance, gadget

Choose the Right Synonym for concern

care, concern, solicitude, anxiety, worry mean a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this.

care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Example Sentences

Verb The novel concerns three soldiers. This study concerns the noise levels in cities. This conversation doesn't concern you. Our mother's illness concerns us. Noun They have expressed concern about the cost of the project. There is some concern that the economy might worsen. I share your concern about these problems. Their friend's health is a constant source of concern. The governor needs to address voters' concerns about the economy. They have raised concerns about the cost of the project. Their friend's health is a constant concern. His concern with the well-being of his family is obvious. She has always shown genuine concern for the poor. I appreciate your concern, but there's really nothing you can do to help. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

As far as parking away from the stadium is concerned, fans will not be able to pay to park in Foxborough neighbors’ driveways and yards, after the town voted to ban the practice in 2012. —

Emily Sweeney, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2023 The union that represents Prince George’s school bus drivers are calling for more security on buses and at depots, with fights and incidents with weapons leaving drivers concerned, according to the union president. —

Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 17 May 2023 Last September, 1,250 students enrolled at the news school at 6905 Skyline Drive, and as far as school traditions were concerned, walked into a vacuum. —

Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2023 Thankfully the crew entering CHAPEA in June will not have to concern themselves with that potentially deadly element of a Mars mission. —

Thomas Page, CNN, 16 May 2023 One of the film’s more powerful moments concerns Carl’s wife, Laura. —

Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2023 At first, delaCruz was concerned there might not be enough activity during the period, but weather events have kept Team Rubicon units very busy. —

Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 May 2023 Turkish voters this election have largely been concerned about domestic issues, including the economy, civil rights, and an earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people earlier this year. —

Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 15 May 2023 Our test distills a road-trip number, and 260 miles is still a lot where bladders and appetites are concerned. —

Dan Edmunds, Car and Driver, 13 May 2023

Noun

In the ensuing rhubarb of bystander concern, Thien stays put. —

Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 May 2023 Central banks also are responding to the emergence of cryptocurrencies, which have raised concerns that someday people could turn to rival forms of digital money that would undercut national currencies. —

David Mchugh, BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2023 That report prompted concern even from the Kohelet Forum, a right-wing research group that has strongly backed the government’s other flagship project, the judicial overhaul. —

Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 24 May 2023 These concerns came to the forefront in 2014 amid numerous reports of turmoil, including an audit that found that 120,000 veterans either didn't receive care or were straddled with long waiting times. —

Ryan King, Washington Examiner, 24 May 2023 And those concerns do have real-world effects, said German Cubas, an associate professor of economics at the University of Houston. —

Alicia Wallace, CNN, 24 May 2023 Advertisement The settlements came after The Washington Post discovered in a 2022 investigation that many popular digital health apps — including Drugs.com and WebMD — share user identifiers along with health concerns such as depression and HIV. —

Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 17 May 2023 Whole Foods last month temporarily closed one of its flagship stores in San Francisco, citing concerns that crime in the area is endangering its staff. —

Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 17 May 2023 Open Queue Relentless cyberattacks and pressure to fix security gaps despite budget constraints are raising the stress levels of corporate cyber leaders and their worries about personal liability, a growing concern since the criminal case against Uber Technologies ’ former security chief. —

Catherine Stupp, WSJ, 17 May 2023 See More

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

Middle English, from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French concerner, from Medieval Latin concernere, from Late Latin, to sift together, mingle, from Latin com- + cernere to sift — more at certain

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of concern was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century