concrete
Americannoun
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an artificial, stonelike material used for various structural purposes, made by mixing cement and various aggregates, as sand, pebbles, gravel, or shale, with water and allowing the mixture to harden.
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any of various artificial building or paving materials, as those containing tar.
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an idea, observation, term, or word having an actual or existent thing or instance as its referent, as opposed to its being abstract.
Psychology is all about feelings and behavior, but I’m more interested in the concrete—and that’s why I became a surgeon.
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a mass formed by coalescence or concretion of particles of matter.
adjective
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constituting an actual thing or instance; real.
concrete proof of his sincerity.
- Synonyms:
- substantial, factual, solid
- Antonyms:
- abstract
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relating to or concerned with realities or actual instances rather than abstractions; particular (general ).
concrete ideas.
- Antonyms:
- abstract
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representing or applied to an actual substance or thing, as opposed to an abstract quality.
The words “cat,” “water,” and “teacher” are concrete, whereas the words “truth,” “excellence,” and “adulthood” are abstract.
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made of concrete.
a concrete pavement;
concrete lawn ornaments.
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formed by coalescence of separate particles into a mass; united in a coagulated, condensed, or solid mass or state.
verb (used with object)
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to treat or lay with concrete.
to concrete a sidewalk.
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to form into a mass by coalescence of particles; render solid.
Of these two semiliquid solutions, which one do you think can be more easily concreted?
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to make real, tangible, or particular.
verb (used without object)
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to coalesce into a mass; become solid; harden.
Has it started to concrete?
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to use or apply concrete.
We can’t begin concreting until all the forms have been installed.
idioms
noun
-
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a construction material made of a mixture of cement, sand, stone, and water that hardens to a stonelike mass
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( as modifier )
a concrete slab
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physics a rigid mass formed by the coalescence of separate particles
adjective
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relating to a particular instance or object; specific as opposed to general
a concrete example
-
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relating to or characteristic of things capable of being perceived by the senses, as opposed to abstractions
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( as noun )
the concrete
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formed by the coalescence of particles; condensed; solid
verb
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(tr) to construct in or cover with concrete
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to become or cause to become solid; coalesce
Other Word Forms
- concretely adverb
- concreteness noun
- concretive adjective
- concretively adverb
- unconcrete adjective
- unconcreted adjective
- unconcretely adverb
Etymology
Origin of concrete
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin concrētus (past participle of concrēscere “to coalesce, condense”), equivalent to con- con- + crē(scere) “to grow, increase” + -tus past participle suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some of those opposed have contacted BBC Your Voice, and say the firm has not provided concrete details about a building that would dominate Hurlford for decades to come.
From BBC
He stood on the concrete channel encasing the San Gabriel River, shortly before donning waders to help send Porkchop off.
From Los Angeles Times
Oil futures jumped on Friday after nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran in Geneva ended with no concrete agreements.
From MarketWatch
This month, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul criticised French defence spending, calling for Paris to do more to turn calls for European security sovereignty into concrete action.
From Barron's
There was no "concrete figure" for future staffing levels in the German capital, he said.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
