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
Set concrete goals such as saving for retirement, buying a home, building a business, or investing for future growth. True Tamplin, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 He's worked two stints as an assistant prosecutor in Clermont County, from 1996-1999 and 2021 to now, and owns his family's mixed concrete business, Sardinia Ready Mix. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 3 Oct. 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
Noun
But what happened was I was struck by lightning in the chest, had a cardiac arrest, fell onto the concrete and was without oxygen for 15 minutes. Thalita Teixeira Padilla, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024 The binder utilized in the concrete is made of granite instead of traditional greenhouse-gas-emitting limestone cement. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for concrete 

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 12 Oct. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on concrete

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