concern
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to be about a particular subject or to affect someone.
v.to relate to or be connected with; to have relevance to a specific person or topic.
Simple“The new safety rules concern everyone who works in the factory.”
In context“The report specifically concerns the environmental impact of the new pipeline, though it touches on economic factors as well.”
UsageThis verb is transitive and does not take a preposition like 'about'.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
v.to make someone feel anxious or uneasy.
v.to cause anxiety or worry in someone.
Simple“The dark clouds in the distance began to concern the hikers.”
In context“The sudden drop in quarterly profits concerned the board of directors, leading to an emergency meeting.”
UsageOften used in the passive voice as 'to be concerned about'.
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a feeling of worry or a specific problem that makes you anxious.
n.a state of anxiety or a specific matter that causes apprehension.
Simple“Parents expressed concern about the safety of the new playground.”
In context“The primary concern for the engineering team was the structural integrity of the bridge during high winds.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.something that is your responsibility or that you are interested in.
n.a matter of interest, importance, or responsibility to someone.
Simple“How he spends his own money is not my concern.”
In context“The daily operations of the branch are the manager's concern, while long-term strategy is handled by the head office.”
Synonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
n.a company or a business.
n.a commercial enterprise, firm, or business establishment.
Simple“The family has owned this small clothing concern for three generations.”
In context“The merger transformed the local manufacturer into a global concern with offices on four continents.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is quite formal and often used in legal or financial contexts, such as 'a going concern'.
Synonyms - 06 C1 Advanced
n.a specific part of a computer program that handles one job.
n.a distinct set of information or logic that affects the code of a computer program.
Simple“The developer decided to separate the database logic from the user interface concern.”
In context“Separation of concerns is a fundamental principle in software architecture to ensure that different sections of code address distinct functionalities.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'separation of concerns'.
Usage concern about their mental · concern about the potential · concerns about conditions
“Australia and the US are also discussing concerns about Trump’s latest round of trade tariffs and the ongoing Iran war.”
“Global competition is no longer a concern for Smith.”
Borrowed from Middle French concerner, from Medieval Latin concernō, concernere (“I distinguish, have respect to”), from Latin concernō (“to mix, sift, or mingle together, as in a sieve”), combined form of con- + cernō (“distinguish”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.