concentration

noun

con·​cen·​tra·​tion ˌkän(t)-sən-ˈtrā-shən 

-ˌsen-

1

a

: the act or process of concentrating : the state of being concentrated

especially : direction of attention to a single object

All that noise is disturbing my concentration.

b

: an academic major or area of focus within a major

The student chose law as his concentration.

2

: a concentrated mass or thing

a concentration of wealth in the merchant class

3

: the amount of a component in a given area or volume

The ozone concentration in the lower stratosphere has declined.

Synonyms of concentration

• immersion
• attention
• absorption

Examples of concentration in a Sentence

All that noise is disturbing my concentration.

The job required her full concentration.

When you're tired it's easy to lose your concentration.

There was a concentration on ethics within the agency.

There is a concentration of wealth in the cities.

He objects to the concentration of power in the hands of a few rich men.

Recent Examples on the Web

All of these locations have higher concentrations of black roofs and pavement, along with fewer trees to provide shade. —Alyssa Andrews, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026

The richest concentrations sit on the Iranian side of the strait, as well as along parts of the southern Gulf coast. —Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026

Downstream water districts warned Branden Ingersoll, a spokesman for the state health department’s Hazardous Materials Division, said the data show arsenic concentration in the water is acceptable for surface water but not for tap water. —Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026

But South Korea's market has been characterized by volatility of late, with the Kospi experiencing some of the most outsized gyrations as a result of its concentration in a handful of stocks, as well as speculative positioning of retail traders. —Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see concentrate entry 1

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing concentration

• concentration camp
• hyper-concentration

Rhymes for concentration

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

concentration

noun

con·​cen·​tra·​tion ˌkän(t)-sən-ˈtrā-shən 

-sen-

1

: the act or process of concentrating : the state of being concentrated

especially : direction of attention on a single object

2

: a concentrated mass

3

: the amount of an ingredient or part in relation to that of others : strength

the concentration of salt in a solution

Medical Definition

concentration

noun

con·​cen·​tra·​tion ˌkän(t)-sən-ˈtrā-shən, -ˌsen- 

1

: the act or action of concentrating: as

a

: a directing of the attention or of the mental faculties toward a single object

b

: an increasing of strength (as of a solute or a gas in a mixture) or a purifying by partial or total removal of diluents, solvents, admixed gases, extraneous material, or waste (as by evaporation or diffusion)

2

: a crude active principle of a vegetable especially for pharmaceutical use in the form of a powder or resin

3

: the relative content of a component (as dissolved or dispersed material) of a solution, mixture, or dispersion that may be expressed in percentage by weight or by volume, in parts per million, or in grams per liter