CONCENTRATION


Meaning of CONCENTRATION in English

con ‧ cen ‧ tra ‧ tion S3 W2 AC /ˌkɒns ə nˈtreɪʃ ə n $ ˌkɑːn-/ BrE AmE noun

[ Word Family: verb : ↑ concentrate ; noun : ↑ concentration ; adjective : ↑ concentrated ]

1 . [uncountable] the ability to think about something carefully or for a long time ⇨ concentrate :

She needed all her powers of concentration to stop herself from slipping on the icy road.

Lack of concentration was a real problem.

I lost my concentration and fell asleep.

2 . [uncountable] a process in which you put a lot of attention, energy etc into a particular activity ⇨ concentrate

concentration on (doing) something

concentration on your health

concentration on providing value and service

3 . [uncountable and countable] a large amount of something in a particular place or among particular people ⇨ concentrate

concentration of

the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

the concentration of power in the hands of a few

4 . [countable] technical the amount of a substance contained in a liquid ⇨ concentrate

high/low concentrations

Additives are expensive but are used in very low concentrations.

concentration of

allowable concentrations of pesticides in drinking water

• • •

COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs

▪ something takes concentration (=needs concentration)

Playing a musical instrument takes a lot of concentration.

▪ something requires/demands concentration formal

Writing an exam requires great concentration.

▪ lose (your) concentration

Halfway through the game, he seemed to lose concentration.

▪ break sb’s concentration (=stop someone concentrating)

The telephone rang and broke my concentration.

▪ disturb sb’s concentration

She slipped out of the room, trying not to disturb his concentration.

■ phrases

▪ sb’s powers of concentration (=sb’s ability to concentrate hard)

Great athletes are known for their powers of concentration.

▪ a lack of concentration

A lack of concentration when you are driving can be fatal.

▪ a lapse in/of concentration (=a short time when you do not concentrate)

That brief lapse of concentration resulted in a goal for the other team.

■ adjectives

▪ great/deep concentration

My work demands great concentration.

▪ poor concentration

The boy had behavioural problems and suffered from poor concentration.

▪ total concentration

I was impressed by her total concentration on the game.

▪ intense concentration (=very great concentration)

The job demands intense concentration.

■ concentration + NOUN

▪ a concentration span (=the length of time that you are able to concentrate)

Young children have a short concentration span.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.