I. con ‧ cern 1 S1 W1 /kənˈsɜːn $ -ɜːrn/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ concern ; noun : ↑ concern ; adjective : ↑ concerned ≠ ↑ unconcerned ]
1 . WORRY
a) [uncountable] a feeling of worry about something important:
The recent rise in crime is a matter of considerable public concern.
concern for
our concern for human rights
concern about/over/with
the rise of concern about the environment
the growing concern over inflation
concern with worsening law and order
concern that
increased concern that the war could continue for a long time
be a cause for concern/cause concern
The activities of the far right have been a cause for concern for a while now.
In her last days the poet expressed concern for her father.
b) [countable] something that worries you:
One of the concerns that people have is the side effects of treatment.
Education remains the electorate’s main concern.
the concerns expressed by parents
2 . SOMETHING IMPORTANT [uncountable and countable] something that is important to you or that involves you:
His main concern is to be able to provide for his family.
concern for
The consumer has become a major concern for this government.
of concern to somebody
topics of concern to television viewers
3 . FEELING FOR SOMEBODY [singular, uncountable] a feeling of wanting someone to be happy and healthy:
He was moved by her obvious concern.
concern for
parents’ loving concern for their children
4 . sb’s concern if something is your concern, you are responsible for it:
The money side of the business is your concern.
5 . not sb’s concern/none of sb’s concern if something is not your concern, you are not interested in it and you do not need to worry about it or become involved in it:
His affairs were none of her concern.
6 . BUSINESS [countable] a business or company:
The restaurant is a family concern.
We will continue to run the company as a going concern (=a business that is financially successful) .
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ verbs
▪ cause concern
The announcement will cause concern in the Middle East.
▪ feel concern
A lot of people felt some concern about the proposal.
▪ express concern
Police officials expressed concern about robberies, which have increased by 23%.
▪ voice concern formal (=express concern)
Some people have voiced concern about the state of the president's health.
▪ raise concerns formal
The incident has raised concerns over safety at the power station.
■ phrases
▪ be of concern
Of course, this is of great concern to parents.
▪ be a cause for concern
Rising global temperatures are a cause for serious concern.
▪ be a matter of concern
Elderly people in particular feel that crime is a matter of concern for them.
▪ amid concern that/over something (=because there is concern about something)
Shares fell slightly amid concern that the economy is slowing.
■ adjectives
▪ great/serious/considerable concern
The spread of the disease is an issue of considerable concern.
▪ grave concern (=very great concern)
This disagreement was a matter of grave concern to the US.
▪ a real/genuine concern
Pensions are a genuine concern to many people.
▪ a particular concern
Noise is a particular concern of those living near the airport.
▪ growing/mounting concern
Growing concern has been expressed over the pollution of the North Sea.
▪ a common concern (=one that many people share)
Rising food prices are a common concern.
▪ public concern (=felt by the public)
Public concern about the destruction of the rain forests could harm the timber business.
▪ national concern
The lack of good cheap public transport is a matter of national concern.
▪ widespread concern
There seems to be widespread concern about the state of our hospitals.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ adjectives
▪ somebody's main/biggest concern
My main concern is my children.
▪ somebody's primary/chief/principal concern
The president said his primary concern was the welfare of the American people.
▪ somebody's central concern
Our organization's central concern is to help people at all levels of society.
▪ somebody's overriding concern (=much more important than anything else)
An artist's overriding concern is to achieve the highest standard possible.
▪ somebody's only/sole concern
Rick's only concern was having a good time at the weekend.
▪ somebody's present/immediate concern
Her two immediate concerns were to find a home and a job.
II. concern 2 W3 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ concern ; noun : ↑ concern ; adjective : ↑ concerned ≠ ↑ unconcerned ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: French ; Origin: concerner , from Late Latin concernere 'to mix together' , from Latin com- ( ⇨ COM- ) + cernere 'to sift' ]
1 . [not in passive] if a story, book, report etc concerns someone or something, it is about them:
This study concerns couples’ expectations of marriage.
The report concerns the drug traffic on the Mexican–US border.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say something is about something or, in British English, is/has to do with something, rather than say it concerns something:
▪
The book is about women’s experiences of war.
2 . to make someone feel worried or upset:
Issues like food additives do concern me.
3 . [not in passive] if an activity, situation, rule etc concerns you, it affects you or involves you:
The tax changes will concern large corporations rather than small businesses.
4 . concern yourself with/about something formal to become involved in something because you are interested in it or because it worries you:
He told them not to concern themselves about him.
He loved his wife, and concerned himself with her needs and desires.
5 . to whom it may concern an expression written at the beginning of a formal letter when you do not know the name of the person you want to communicate with