concur
C1Formal, professional, academic
Definition
Meaning
To agree or share the same opinion.
To happen at the same time; to coincide.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word implies a formal or considered agreement, not casual assent. It often suggests agreement after independent consideration or analysis.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Slightly more common in formal legal and academic writing in both varieties.
Connotations
Formal, precise, deliberate.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both varieties, reserved for formal contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
concur with [person/opinion]concur that [clause]concur in [decision/judgment]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[To be] of like/concurring mind”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The board members concurred on the need for a strategic review."
Academic
"Several studies concur with the hypothesis that climate change is accelerating."
Everyday
"I have to concur with my partner; we should leave earlier." (less common in casual speech)
Technical
"The two data streams must concur in time for accurate analysis."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The judges concurred with the initial ruling.
- I must concur, the weather is rather dreadful.
- Our findings concur with those of the earlier study.
American English
- The committee concurred that changes were necessary.
- I have to concur with the assessment.
- The two events concurred unexpectedly.
adverb
British English
- No common adverbial form in standard use.
American English
- No common adverbial form in standard use.
adjective
British English
- No common adjectival form in standard use.
American English
- No common adjectival form in standard use.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My teacher concurred with my answer.
- We all concur that it's a good plan.
- The panel of experts concurred with the report's main conclusions.
- Unfortunately, my schedule does not concur with the proposed meeting time.
- While I concur in principle, the practical implementation raises serious concerns.
- Historical records concur that the event took place in the autumn of 1066.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
CONCUR sounds like "can occur together" — ideas that agree can occur together in harmony.
Conceptual Metaphor
Agreement is alignment on a path (from Latin 'concurrere' - to run together).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation with "конкур" (which is false). The closest equivalents are "соглашаться" (to agree) or "совпадать" (to coincide).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'concur' in casual conversation where 'agree' is more natural. Using wrong preposition (e.g., 'concur to' instead of 'concur with').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'concur' used correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Concur' is more formal and often implies agreement after independent thought or analysis. 'Agree' is the general, all-purpose term.
Yes, this is a secondary, less common meaning (e.g., 'The two celebrations concurred'). The primary meaning is 'to agree'.
The most common preposition is 'with' (concur with someone/something). 'Concur in' is used with decisions or judgments, and 'concur that' introduces a clause.
No, it is a formal word (C1 level). In everyday speech, 'agree' is far more common and natural.