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Concern Very Common

Concern has 9 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Verb

Definitions
Noun
1

something that interests you because it is important or affects you

"the safety of the ship is the captain's concern"

2

an anxious feeling

"care had aged him"

"they hushed it up out of fear of public reaction"

3

a feeling of sympathy for someone or something

"She felt strong concern for those less fortunate"

4

something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness

"New York traffic is a constant concern"

"it's a major worry"

5

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

"he bought his brother's business"

"a small mom-and-pop business"

"a racially integrated business concern"

6

That which affects one’s welfare or happiness. A matter of interest to someone.

"She decided not to share her plans because she knew it would be a source of great concern for her worried father."

In plain English: A concern is something that makes you worry or feel uneasy about a situation.

"The main concern for many families is saving enough money for college."

Usage: Use "concern" as a noun to refer to an issue that matters to someone or something that affects their well-being, often phrased as "a matter of concern." It typically describes a specific problem or topic requiring attention rather than general worry.

Verb
1

be relevant to

"There were lots of questions referring to her talk"

"My remark pertained to your earlier comments"

2

be on the mind of

"I worry about the second Germanic consonant shift"

3

To relate or belong to; to have reference to or connection with; to affect the interest of; to be of importance to.

"The new safety regulations do not concern our department, but they apply directly to the engineering team."

In plain English: To have a worry or feel anxious about something happening.

"The news about the storm concerned everyone in the neighborhood."

Usage: Use "concern" as a verb when something affects someone's interests or is relevant to a specific situation, such as stating that a policy concerns all employees. Avoid using it simply to mean "worry," which is its more common emotional usage in everyday speech.

Example Sentences
"The main concern for many families is saving enough money for college." noun
"The news about the storm concerned everyone in the neighborhood." verb
"She decided to concern herself with her own problems first." verb
"The manager concerned everyone by announcing layoffs next week." verb
"Please do not concern yourself with the details of my argument." verb
Related Terms
worry care caring about mythology computer program regard bizzo stylism discern armed conflict big deal non issue bee in one's bonnet blithely self centeredness easiness matter microconcern humane
Antonyms
unconcern
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
interest anxiety sympathy negative stimulus enterprise
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
worldly concern matter personal business part point of honor solicitude softheartedness bugaboo burden business agency brokerage carrier chain firm franchise manufacturer partnership processor shipbuilder underperformer focus on apply involve matter to

Origin

The word "concern" entered English from Middle French and originally meant "to mix or sift together." Over time, its meaning shifted to signify having respect for something or being relevant to a particular matter.

Rhyming Words
ern bern tern dern kern yern vern wern hern pern fern gern cern ahern stern thern scern quern altern astern
Compare
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