concerted effort

Meaning

1. 1nouncountableformal

   A determined and well-planned attempt in which people work together toward a goal.

   Grammar: Usually singular with an or the: a concerted effort to clean up the river.

   Patterns

   • a concerted effort to do something
   • a concerted effort by someone

   The town made a concerted effort to clean the river.

   It will take a concerted effort by all departments to meet the deadline.

   A concerted effort by neighbors saved the old library.

Word forms

Common combinations

make a concerted effort

We must make a concerted effort to reduce waste.

a concerted effort to

There was a concerted effort to include every student.

a concerted effort by

A concerted effort by volunteers cleared the beach.

require a concerted effort

Learning a language requires a concerted effort.

a concerted effort among

A concerted effort among the nations ended the dispute.

Synonyms and how they differ

joint effort

Joint effort stresses that two or more parties share the work, while concerted effort adds the idea of being planned and determined.

united effort

United effort emphasises agreement and togetherness, and is a little more emotional than concerted effort.

determined push

Determined push is more informal and can describe one person, whereas concerted effort usually involves a group.

collective action

Collective action is broader and often political, meaning a group taking steps together, and it does not need the idea of strong effort.

Opposites

Word family

concert noun

agreement or acting together, as in in concert

concerted adjective

planned and done together

concertedly adverb

in a coordinated way

effort noun

energy used to do something

Commonly confused: concerted effort or concentrated effort?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “concerted effort”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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