concentrate

10 definitions • 15 examples

to direct your attention or your efforts towards a particular activity, subject, or problem:

Come on, concentrate! We don't have all day to do this.

I can't concentrate on my work with all that noise.

I find running concentrates the mind (= helps me to think).

I'm going to concentrate on my writing for a while.

The company is concentrating (its resources) on developing new products.

to bring or come together in a large number or amount in one particular area:

Most of the country's population is concentrated in the north.

In the dry season, the animals tend to concentrate in the areas where there is water.

to make a liquid or substance stronger and reduce its size by removing water from it

a liquid from which some of the water has been removed:

fruit-juice concentrate

an ore from which rock has been removed:

a mineral concentrate

to direct a lot of attention and thought to an activity or subject, or to direct effort toward achieving a result:

[ I always + adv/prep ] In her later years, she concentrated on her writing and teaching.

[ T ] The police are concentrating their search in the area where the child was last seen.

to bring or come together in a large number or amount in one particular area:

[ T ] Most of the country’s population is concentrated in the cities.

to make a substance stronger or purer by removing water or other substances

a substance from which water or other substances have been removed

to give all of your attention to one particular activity, subject, or problem:

concentrate on sth The corporation is selling off its restaurant chain to concentrate on its core retailing business.

concentrate on doing sth The new firm will concentrate on managing money for institutional investors.

concentrate your efforts/attention/resources on sth Many wine producers have concentrated their efforts on producing less wine, but of a higher quality.