acknowledge concern

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "acknowledge concern" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when addressing or recognizing someone's worries or issues in a discussion or communication. Example: "In our meeting, I want to ensure we take the time to acknowledge concern regarding the project's timeline."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science & Research

News & Media

Academia

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

In a commentary in The Huffington Post, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins and Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Thomas Perez acknowledge "concern" about how the biomedical research community, which relies on about 40,000 postdocs (roughly half the total in all fields), will absorb the change.

Science Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

They will acknowledge concerns, take action where necessary, and report back on what was done.

The Guardian

In such circumstances, the company may acknowledge concerns of its stakeholders but should affirm its nonpolitical stand.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

But owners and editors do acknowledge concerns about what might happen in the courts in future should a publisher be sued for libel or a breach of privacy.

The Guardian

Military officers acknowledge concerns over a single attack that kills or injures a large number of American forces, like the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut.

The New York Times

It's big business, and the creators should acknowledge concerns that devices like theirs can and are being abused.

TechCrunch

There is continuing unwillingness to compromise or acknowledge concerns on all sides - and the content of the reports is disputed.

BBC

It's time for the government, the gaming industry and other tourism stakeholders to join hands, acknowledge concerns and demonstrate they are serious about addressing them.

Forbes

Even the White House, a key backer of the el-Sisi regime, felt compelled to publicly acknowledge "concerns... about the restrictive political environment in which this election took place".

Vice

We acknowledge concerns about the validity of measures, such as the CIS-R being administered by trained lay interviewers [ 53].

BMC Public Health

It is important to acknowledge concerns that many religions and religious communities themselves discriminate against women and marginalize them from formal religious spaces.

Unicef

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "acknowledge concern", follow up with specific actions or statements that demonstrate you are addressing the concern. For example, "We acknowledge your concern about the project timeline and are implementing changes to ensure deadlines are met."

Common error

Avoid vague statements like "We acknowledge your concern." Always specify what concern you are addressing. For example, "We acknowledge your concern about data privacy."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "acknowledge concern" functions primarily as a verb phrase, where "acknowledge" acts as a transitive verb taking "concern" as its direct object. This indicates a recognition or admission of a worry or problem. As stated by Ludwig, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Science

16%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Academia

8%

Science & Research

8%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "acknowledge concern" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase for expressing understanding and recognition of worries or issues. While considered rare in frequency, its contexts span across science, news, and formal business communications. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness. When using this phrase, specify the concern being addressed and follow up with actions that demonstrate you are actively working to resolve the issue. Alternatives such as "recognize apprehension", "understand worry", and "address misgivings" can be used depending on the desired level of formality and the specific nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

recognize apprehension

Replaces "concern" with a more formal synonym, "apprehension", and "acknowledge" with "recognize".

understand worry

Uses simpler words, making it slightly less formal. "Understand" replaces "acknowledge" and "worry" replaces "concern".

recognize reservations

Substitutes "concern" with "reservations", indicating doubts or hesitations.

address misgivings

Substitutes "acknowledge" with "address", implying action, and replaces "concern" with "misgivings", suggesting doubt.

validate their worries

Uses "validate" which suggests confirming the legitimacy of the worries. It also uses a possessive pronoun.

accept disquiet

This option swaps in "accept" for acknowledge indicating a willingness to receive the feeling and "disquiet" which is a synonym for concern.

take note of unease

Uses "take note of" instead of "acknowledge", which is less direct, and "unease" instead of "concern", implying discomfort.

be aware of anxiety

Replaces "acknowledge" with "be aware of" and "concern" with "anxiety", emphasizing a state of worry.

appreciate trepidation

Employs "appreciate" as a more empathetic alternative to "acknowledge", and swaps "concern" for "trepidation", connoting fear or alarm.

understand their fears

Replaces "concern" with "fears", emphasizing a stronger emotion, and uses a possessive pronoun to specify whose fears are being acknowledged.

FAQs

How can I use "acknowledge concern" in a sentence?

You can use "acknowledge concern" to express that you understand and recognize someone's worries or issues. For example, "The company needs to "acknowledge concern" about the environmental impact of its operations."

What are some alternatives to saying "acknowledge concern"?

Instead of "acknowledge concern", you could use phrases like "recognize apprehension", "understand worry", or "address misgivings" depending on the specific context and level of formality.

Is it better to "acknowledge concern" or "address concern"?

"Acknowledge concern" simply means recognizing and understanding the issue. "Address concern" implies taking action to resolve or mitigate the issue. The best choice depends on whether you are just recognizing the problem or actively working to fix it.

What's the difference between "acknowledge concern" and "validate concern"?

"Acknowledge concern" means recognizing and understanding someone's worry. "Validate concern" goes further by affirming that the concern is legitimate and reasonable. Validating concern provides more reassurance than simply acknowledging it.