concrete

adjective

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con·crete | \ (ˌ)kän-ˈkrēt

, ˈkän-ˌkrēt, kən-ˈkrēt

Definition of concrete

(Entry 1 of 3)

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

3a : 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

concrete

verb

con·crete | \ ˈkän-ˌkrēt

, kän-ˈkrēt

concreted; concreting

Definition of concrete (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : to form into a solid mass : solidify

b : combine, blend

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.

intransitive verb

: to become concreted

concrete

noun

con·crete | \ ˈkän-ˌkrēt

, (ˌ)kän-ˈkrēt \

Definition of concrete (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Other Words from concrete Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about concrete

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Did You Know?

Adjective

We can trace "concrete" back to the Latin verb concrescere, meaning "to grow together." Appropriately, when if 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 By the end of the week, concrete barriers, huge city trucks and police cars had sealed the length of the National Mall. — Jim Spencer, Star Tribune, "Nation's capital city locks down in advance of Biden's inauguration," 16 Jan. 2021 Some northbound lanes on State Highway 360 in Arlington will be closed for several days this week while temporary concrete barriers are placed along the highway. — Brayden Garcia, Dallas News, "State Highway 360 construction to close lanes in Arlington, plus other area traffic updates," 28 Dec. 2020 Synagogues in my hometown of Rockville, Maryland, now have large concrete barriers at their entrances and enhanced police protection. — Lindsay Deutsch, USA TODAY, "This is America: Anti-Semitism is not a punchline," 10 Dec. 2020 In a failed attempt to stall the farmers, authorities have lobbed tear-gas shells, dug up trenches, erected concrete barriers and deployed water cannons and phalanxes of baton-wielding policemen. — Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, "India Throws a Trudeau Tantrum," 10 Dec. 2020 Although no mode of public transportation is completely safe, there are some concrete ways to reduce risk, whether on an airplane, train or bus—or even in a shared car. — Sophie Bushwick, Scientific American, "Evaluating COVID Risk on Planes, Trains and Automobiles," 19 Nov. 2020 Public works crews will begin removing the concrete barriers that created pseudo-patio space for restaurants along LaSalle Road and Farmington Avenue at 5 a.m. Nov. 16, according to a notice from the town. — Zach Murdock, courant.com, "West Hartford to remove on-street outdoor dining in Center, Blue Back Square ahead of winter snow plowing," 9 Nov. 2020 But others are boarding anyway, and concrete barriers were being installed outside the U.S. Chamber of Commerce building across from Lafayette Square. — Washington Post, "D.C. police and businesses prepare for possible Election Day unrest," 30 Oct. 2020 Last week, Boulder Creek Community Church, which backs up to a steep, burned hill, installed six 20-foot, 4-ton concrete barriers to lessen the impact of a mudslide, Pastor Adam Miller said. — Mallory Moench, SFChronicle.com, "‘Doomsday scenario’: Santa Cruz mountain towns prepare for winter mudslides after CZU wildfire," 18 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Aside from not trying to drill concrete with a bit made for wood, here are some factors for purchasing a set of quality bits that will last you more than one job. — The Editors, Field & Stream, "3 Features You Need in Your Next Drill Bit Set," 7 Dec. 2020 How could concrete contort that much without exploding into dust? — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "Sporting Green reader memories: Loma Prieta at Candlestick, Matt Cain perfect," 27 June 2020 The Kwai’s crew of 11, sailors accustomed to unloading anything from cars to concrete on isolated islands, uses winches and sweat to hoist the heavy nets from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where swirling currents gather floating debris. — Doug Struck, The Christian Science Monitor, "Untangling the ocean trash glut, one ‘ghost net’ at a time," 19 June 2020 That is, if the information gathered by investigators leads to concrete results within the church and the criminal justice system. — Washington Post, "AP Explains: Vatican to send abuse investigators to Mexico," 5 Mar. 2020 The location will also serve local brews and frozen custard concretes with mix-ins by Chicago bakeries like Hot Chocolate Bakery and Bang Bang Pie. — Grace Wong, chicagotribune.com, "Hemingway-inspired Spanish tapas restaurant opens in Logan Square, plus more Chicago restaurant news," 17 Oct. 2019 Small fish peer out from the necks of the jugs, which the passage of time has concreted into the seabed. — Elena Becatoros, The Seattle Times, "Wrecks, sunken treasures lie under Albania’s coastal waters," 2 Aug. 2017 Small fish peer out from the necks of the jugs, which the passage of time has concreted into the seabed. — Washington Post, "Wrecks, sunken treasures lie under Albania’s coastal waters," 2 Aug. 2017 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Zhang Sumei, a 53-year-old farmer, earns $1,500 a year growing and selling potatoes and had to use her savings to build her home in concrete. — Keith Bradsher, New York Times, "Jobs, Houses and Cows: China’s Costly Drive to Erase Extreme Poverty," 31 Dec. 2020 There was a rumor that Walsh’s killers put his body in concrete and dumped him in the ocean off Block Island. — Emily Sweeney, BostonGlobe.com, "2020 marked the 100th anniversary of Prohibition - a wild time when New England became a hotbed of illegal liquor," 30 Dec. 2020 In 2017, Bowsza had proposed an ordinance, which was adopted, that waived the building permit fee for foundation reconstruction due to pyrrhotite in the concrete, and gave some latitude to the building official to waive other fees. — Steve Smith, courant.com, "East Windsor selectmen discuss further foundation relief," 24 Dec. 2020 In construction, clay bricks have bolstered outdoor projects and elevated the rent of trendy lofts seemingly for millennia, but silicon is also a key element in modern concrete. — David Lumb, Popular Mechanics, "109 Ways Silicon Completely Rules Every Part of Your Life," 9 Dec. 2020 In Oakland, the company inlaid the steel letters in the concrete throughout the Cathedral of Christ the Light. — Chase Difeliciantonio, SFChronicle.com, "Building Bay Area landmarks, Thomas Swan Sign Co. became a vulnerable one itself," 26 Nov. 2020 CarbonCure in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, stores carbon dioxide captured from other industrial processes in concrete through mineralization rather than releasing it into the atmosphere as a by-product. — Mariette Dichristina, Scientific American, "Low-Carbon Cement Can Help Combat Climate Change," 10 Nov. 2020 If the lintel cracked because of excessive pressure from above, Stearns said, the cracks in the concrete would be vertical and in the middle of the span. — Washington Post, "Cracked concrete lintel is a mystery," 26 Oct. 2020 Energy Vault made breakthroughs both in using an adhesive that binds soil and rock, which is then encased in concrete, and by lifting those blocks from underneath to keep them stable. — David Hodari, WSJ, "Bill Gross, 1990s Dotcom Trailblazer, Is Now Betting on Green Energy," 6 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'concrete.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for concrete

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

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