concentre: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Rare / ArchaicLiterary, Technical (historical)
Quick answer
What does “concentre” mean?
To bring or come together at a common centre.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To bring or come together at a common centre; to focus or converge.
To direct one's attention, efforts, or thoughts towards a single point or objective; to centralize.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
UK English retains 'concentre' as a valid, though rare, spelling variant. US English standardised on 'concenter' (also rare) and predominantly uses 'concentrate'.
Connotations
In both varieties, the '-re' (UK) or '-er' (US) forms feel archaic, literary, or poetic. No significant modern connotative difference beyond spelling preference.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. The form 'concentrate' is thousands of times more common in contemporary corpora.
Grammar
How to Use “concentre” in a Sentence
concentre something (on/upon something)concentre (on/upon something)concentre at somethingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “concentre” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The poet urged us to concentre our thoughts on the eternal.
- The army's command was concentred at the old fort.
American English
- The architect's vision was to concenter all pathways on the plaza. (Historical)
- She tried to concenter her will on the task.
adverb
British English
- (Nonexistent)
American English
- (Nonexistent)
adjective
British English
- (No modern adjectival use. Historically 'concentred' as participle adjective.)
American English
- (No modern adjectival use.)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually unused. 'Consolidate' or 'focus' are standard.
Academic
Only found in historical or literary analysis discussing older texts.
Everyday
Not used. 'Concentrate' is universal.
Technical
Might appear in historical scientific texts (e.g., optics) but replaced by 'focus' or 'converge'.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “concentre”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “concentre”
- Using 'concentre' in modern writing instead of 'concentrate'.
- Misspelling as 'concetre' or 'concenter' in UK contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While 'concentre' is a UK variant spelling of the now-rare 'concenter', both are archaic/literary variants of the modern verb 'concentrate'. 'Concentrate' is the standard form in all varieties of English.
No. Learners should only learn and use 'concentrate'. Knowledge of 'concentre' is only for advanced learners interested in reading historical or poetic texts.
There is no direct modern noun. The related noun is 'concentration'. Historically, 'concentrement' is attested but obsolete.
It is pronounced the same as 'concenter': /ˈkɒnsəntə/ in British English and /ˈkɑːnsəntər/ in American English, with primary stress on the first syllable.
To bring or come together at a common centre.
Concentre is usually literary, technical (historical) in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to concentre one's being on”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: CON (together) + CENTRE (middle point) = bring together to the middle point.
Conceptual Metaphor
ATTENTION IS A BEAM OF LIGHT FOCUSSED AT A POINT (e.g., 'concentre your mind on the problem').
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'concentre' be most acceptable today?