con·crete
(ˌ)kän-ˈkrēt 
ˈkän-ˌkrēt,
kən-ˈkrēt
1
: naming a real thing or class of things
the word poem is concrete, poetry is abstract
2
: formed by coalition of particles into one solid mass
3
a
: characterized by or belonging to immediate experience of actual things or events
b
: specific, particular
a concrete proposal
4
: relating to or made of concrete
a concrete wall
concretely
adverb
concreteness
noun
con·crete
ˈkän-ˌkrēt
kän-ˈkrēt
kän-ˈkrēt
concreted; concreting
2
: to make actual or real : cause to take on the qualities of reality
3
: to cover with, form of, or set in concrete
The statues were concreted to the ground.
: to become concreted
con·crete
ˈkän-ˌkrēt
(ˌ)kän-ˈkrēt
1
: a mass formed by concretion or coalescence of separate particles of matter in one body
2
: a hard strong building material made by mixing a cementing material (such as Portland cement) and a mineral aggregate (such as sand and gravel) with sufficient water to cause the cement to set and bind the entire mass
3
: a waxy essence of flowers prepared by extraction and evaporation and used in perfumery
Did you know?
We can trace "concrete" back to the Latin verb concrescere, meaning "to grow together." Appropriately, when it first entered English "concrete" could mean "connected by growth." Logicians and grammarians also applied "concrete" to words that expressed a quality viewed as being united with the thing it describes. That in turn led to the sense of "concrete" which we now contrast with "abstract"—concrete words express actual things ("rock," "lizard, "harpsichord"), while abstract words express qualities apart from actual things ("bliss," "freedom," "turpitude"). It was not until the 19th century that the noun "concrete," and its related adjective, began to be used for the building material composed of cementing material and sand, gravel, or similar materials.
Synonyms
Examples of concrete in a Sentence
Adjective
It's helpful to have concrete examples of how words are used in context.
We hope the meetings will produce concrete results.
Verb
the mortar slowly concreted in the mold
a choral work that concretes music and dance into a stunning theatrical experience
Recent Examples on the Web
Conor Knighton, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2024
Work crews have been blasting and tearing into one concrete dam.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
Small and large plates include bruschetta, pizza, charcuterie, and traditional meze; the industrial space with slate and concrete floors, meanwhile, opens to a charming rooftop garden.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2024
While it’s being built, the teams next year will begin playing nearby, in the concrete ballpark that houses the departing A’s.
—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
The vehicle's front passenger side then hit a concrete culvert and was airborne for roughly 100 feet before the car landed in the lake.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
And, yes, with age the urgency is also more concrete, more focused, more, well, urgent.
—Steve Hochman, SPIN, 15 Apr. 2024
American Maintenance Professionals’ green efforts are part of the reason Matthew Fink, purchaser for concrete and asphalt contractor CalPortland’s Phoenix office, said his employer continues to be a client.
—Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
President Joe Biden sharpened his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as demand grows for the U.S. to take concrete action against Israel’s brutal assault in Gaza.
—Jeremy Childs, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
Peter Aitken, Fox News, 14 July 2023
These stipulations have helped concrete over huge chunks of America—there are between three and six car parking spaces per car in the US, numbering up to 2 billion in total, according to some estimates.
—Oliver Milman, WIRED, 7 Jan. 2023
Rigolon acknowledged that having a large area of irrigated turf is preferable to asphalt or concrete.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 July 2022
Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
The hole dug for the foundation was enormous, and vast amounts of concrete arrived every day on trucks, along with puzzling items: 110 urinals, huge steel doors.
—Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2024
Using massive barges and floating cranes, crews are clearing the hulking pieces of steel and hunks of concrete that have crippled the Port of Baltimore and spread economic pain locally and nationally.
—Leslie Shapiro, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
In the church courtyard, a gray-haired man is sweeping up broken glass and gathering small pieces of concrete.
—Claire Harbage, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024
Some of the bridge’s support piers are encased in substantial amounts of concrete.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Potential changes include the amount of concrete versus green space on properties and how dirty the water pouring into canals and waterways is allowed to be.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
The firm incorporated many raw materials, such as seamless concrete, maple wood, exposed brick, and lime plaster, and paired them against sleeker materials and finishes that include honed and polished marble, glass, and brass accents.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
Operations staff members noticed cracks in the original concrete in Section N, revealing an approximately 700-square-foot open area underneath.
—Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
Adjective
High concrete walls block headlights and dull the traffic noise.
—Conor Knighton, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2024
Work crews have been blasting and tearing into one concrete dam.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
Small and large plates include bruschetta, pizza, charcuterie, and traditional meze; the industrial space with slate and concrete floors, meanwhile, opens to a charming rooftop garden.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2024
While it’s being built, the teams next year will begin playing nearby, in the concrete ballpark that houses the departing A’s.
—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
The vehicle's front passenger side then hit a concrete culvert and was airborne for roughly 100 feet before the car landed in the lake.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
And, yes, with age the urgency is also more concrete, more focused, more, well, urgent.
—Steve Hochman, SPIN, 15 Apr. 2024
American Maintenance Professionals’ green efforts are part of the reason Matthew Fink, purchaser for concrete and asphalt contractor CalPortland’s Phoenix office, said his employer continues to be a client.
—Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
President Joe Biden sharpened his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as demand grows for the U.S. to take concrete action against Israel’s brutal assault in Gaza.
—Jeremy Childs, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
Verb
Reuters reported one member of the group concreted himself to the street while others stuck themselves to it, using what looked like to be the same method adopted in Thursday's airport disruptions.
—Peter Aitken, Fox News, 14 July 2023
These stipulations have helped concrete over huge chunks of America—there are between three and six car parking spaces per car in the US, numbering up to 2 billion in total, according to some estimates.
—Oliver Milman, WIRED, 7 Jan. 2023
Rigolon acknowledged that having a large area of irrigated turf is preferable to asphalt or concrete.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 July 2022
Noun
But the light poles are the most glaring thefts, leaving behind a knot of electrical wiring and dark divots in the concrete where the poles had stood.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
The hole dug for the foundation was enormous, and vast amounts of concrete arrived every day on trucks, along with puzzling items: 110 urinals, huge steel doors.
—Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2024
Using massive barges and floating cranes, crews are clearing the hulking pieces of steel and hunks of concrete that have crippled the Port of Baltimore and spread economic pain locally and nationally.
—Leslie Shapiro, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
In the church courtyard, a gray-haired man is sweeping up broken glass and gathering small pieces of concrete.
—Claire Harbage, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024
Some of the bridge’s support piers are encased in substantial amounts of concrete.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Potential changes include the amount of concrete versus green space on properties and how dirty the water pouring into canals and waterways is allowed to be.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
The firm incorporated many raw materials, such as seamless concrete, maple wood, exposed brick, and lime plaster, and paired them against sleeker materials and finishes that include honed and polished marble, glass, and brass accents.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
Operations staff members noticed cracks in the original concrete in Section N, revealing an approximately 700-square-foot open area underneath.
—Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concrete.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near concrete
Cite this Entry
“Concrete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concrete. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
concrete
1 of 3 adjective
con·crete
(ˈ)kän-ˈkrēt
kən-
kən-
ˈkän-ˌkrēt
1
: naming a real thing or class of things : not abstract
"book" is a concrete noun but "goodness" is not
2
a
: belonging to or based on actual experience
concrete examples
b
: material entry 1 sense 1, real
concrete evidence
3
ˈkän-ˌkrēt,
kän-ˈkrēt
: relating to or made of concrete
a concrete wall
concretely
adverb
concreteness
noun
concrete
2 of 3 verb
con·crete
ˈkän-ˌkrēt
(ˈ)kän-ˈkrēt
(ˈ)kän-ˈkrēt
concreted; concreting
1
: solidify
2
: to cover with, form of, or set in concrete
concrete
3 of 3 noun
con·crete
ˈkän-ˌkrēt
(ˈ)kän-ˈkrēt
: a hard strong building material made by mixing cement, sand, and gravel or broken rock with water
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share