What does concentration mean?
Concentration is the act or capacity of directing one's full attention onto a single task, object, or thought while excluding distractions. It is prized as a mental skill essential to study, work, sport, and creative effort, and phrases such as 'deep concentration' or 'losing concentration' are part of everyday speech. The word also has an important scientific sense: in chemistry, concentration describes how much of a given substance is dissolved or contained within another, as in 'a high concentration of sugar in the solution'. A third sense refers to a dense clustering of people, buildings, or resources in one area. Derived from Latin roots meaning 'to centre together', the word entered English in the early seventeenth century and broadened from physical gathering to mental focus. Its versatility across psychology, science, and general description makes it a valuable and frequently used term in English.
nounThe action or power of focusing all one's attention or mental effort on a single thing. Also, the amount of a substance present in a given volume of another substance, especially in a solution.
- The mental act or faculty of directing all one's attention to a single object, task, or activity.
- The amount of a particular substance contained in a given quantity of another substance or mixture (e.g. in chemistry).
- A close gathering or clustering of people, things, or forces in one place.
"She needed complete concentration to solve the puzzle."
"Meditation can improve your powers of concentration over time."
"The solution has a high concentration of salt."
The plural is uncommon in the mental-focus sense but standard in scientific contexts when comparing measurements from different samples or locations.
"Concentrations of carbon dioxide vary between the two samples."
The word 'concentration' originally described things gathering at a common centre — only later did it come to describe the mind doing the same.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of concentration
Concentration derives from the Latin verb 'concentrare', formed from 'com-' (together) and 'centrum' (centre), literally meaning 'to bring to a common centre'. The word entered English in the early seventeenth century, initially describing the physical gathering of things around a central point. Over time its use extended to the mind, so that concentrating came to mean fixing one's attention on a single point of thought. It shares this root with words such as 'concentric' and 'eccentric', which likewise relate to the idea of a centre.
Related word forms
How concentration is actually used
In everyday use, 'concentration' most often refers to mental focus and is common in both formal and informal registers. In scientific contexts — particularly chemistry — it carries a precise technical meaning relating to the density of a substance in a mixture, often measured in molarity or percentage terms. The plural is rare but appears when referring to multiple measured concentrations.
Easily confused with concentration
A concentration camp is a specific historical term for a place where large numbers of people are imprisoned, whereas 'concentration' on its own refers to focus or density.