concentration

[kon-suhn-trey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of concentrating; the state of being concentrated.

2. exclusive attention to one object; close mental application.

3. something concentrated.

   a concentration of stars.

4. Military.

   1. the assembling of military or naval forces in a particular area in preparation for further operations.

   2. a specified intensity and duration of artillery fire placed on a small area.

5. the focusing of a student's academic program on advanced study in a specific subject or field.

6. Chemistry.,  (in a solution) a measure of the amount of dissolved substance contained per unit of volume.

7. Also called memory. Cards.,  a game in which all 52 cards are spread out face down on the table and each player in turn exposes two cards at a time and replaces them face down if they do not constitute a pair, the object being to take the most pairs by remembering the location of the cards previously exposed.

concentration

/ ˌkɒnsənˈtreɪʃən /

noun

1. intense mental application; complete attention

2. the act or process of concentrating

3. something that is concentrated

4. c. the strength of a solution, esp the amount of dissolved substance in a given volume of solvent, usually expressed in moles per cubic metre or cubic decimetre (litre)

5. the process of increasing the concentration of a solution

6. military

   1. the act of bringing together military forces

   2. the application of fire from a number of weapons against a target

7. economics the degree to which the output or employment in an industry is accounted for by only a few firms

8. another name (esp US) for Pelmanism

concentration

1. The amount of a particular substance in a given amount of another substance, especially a solution or mixture.

Other Word Forms

• hyperconcentration noun
• nonconcentration noun
• overconcentration noun
• preconcentration noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of concentration¹

First recorded in 1625–35; concentr(ic) + -ation

Example Sentences

Natural gas is composed mostly of climate-warming methane but also contains other gases such as hydrogen sulfide, which is deadly at high concentrations.

From Salon

An increase in students with double majors, minors and concentrations has further complicated the process.

From Los Angeles Times

There are only a handful of genuine photos from inside the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War Two.

From BBC

Alliance sued in 2020, saying the city was doing too little to move people homeless people indoors and address the concentration of encampments in Skid Row and elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times

Public health departments in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties have reported jumps in the coronavirus concentrations detected in wastewater in recent weeks.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• absorption 
• combination 
• consolidation