Meaning & use
concentric
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparablemathematicstechnical
Having the same middle point, as with circles or rings of different sizes placed one inside another.
Grammar: Not comparable; used before a noun or after be, often with with: the circles are concentric with the target.
Patterns
- concentric circles
- concentric with something
A dartboard is made of concentric circles around the bullseye.
The ripples spread in concentric rings across the pond.
The tree trunk showed concentric rings, one for each year.
adjectivenot comparablefigurative
Arranged in layers or zones that each surround the same central point, even if not circular.
Grammar: Used figuratively for layered groups, such as concentric zones.
Patterns
- concentric layers
- concentric zones
The old city grew in concentric zones around the harbor.
The castle had concentric walls, one inside another.
Her friends formed concentric circles of closeness.
Common combinations
- concentric circles
- Draw three concentric circles on the page.
- concentric rings
- The planet's concentric rings are made of ice.
- concentric squares
- The artist painted concentric squares in bold colors.
- concentric layers
- An onion grows in concentric layers.
- concentric with
- This circle is concentric with the larger one.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nested
- Nested means placed inside one another, but shapes can be nested without sharing a center, unlike concentric ones.
- coaxial
- Coaxial means sharing the same axis, as in cables, and is the three-dimensional counterpart of concentric.
- layered
- Layered means arranged in layers but need not share a single center.
- circular
- Circular describes one round shape, while concentric needs at least two.
Opposites
Word family
- concentrically adverb
- in a way that shares one center
- concentricity noun
- the state of having a common center
- center noun
- the middle point
- eccentric adjective
- not having the same center; also odd
Commonly confused: concentric or concentrate? concentric or eccentric?
concentric vs concentrate
Concentrate means to focus or to make stronger, and it comes from the same root, but concentric only describes shared centers.
concentric vs eccentric
Eccentric means not sharing a center, or in people, behaving in an odd way.
Practice
Which phrase best describes two circles with the same middle point but different sizes?
Choose one answer.
Concentric circles share one center. Eccentric circles have different centers.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “concentric”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.