competing concern

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "competing concern" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing issues or interests that are in conflict with one another, often in a context where priorities or resources are limited. Example: "While we aim to improve customer satisfaction, we must also address the competing concern of cost management."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Keeping this context in mind it is not difficult to comprehend the informants' ambiguous attitudes toward increasing consumerism in health care and why professional autonomy might be experienced as a competing concern to patient autonomy.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

At stake are potentially competing concerns.

The Guardian

Now federal officials are trying to juggle competing concerns.

The New York Times

The tension reflected the competing concerns of two of Obama's advisers.

The New Yorker

The competing concerns involving human rights renew themselves in something of a vicious circle.

The New York Times

"This legislation strikes a careful balance between these sometimes competing concerns".

The New York Times

Other investors said they thought Apple had done a good job of balancing competing concerns with the size of the dividend.

The New York Times - Tech

Hillary had many competing concerns: in February of 1979, she had been made a partner in the Rose firm, and a year later their daughter, Chelsea, was born.

The New Yorker

"There are no perfect answers here, so we have to do the best we can in trying to adequately address a number of competing concerns.

The New York Times

At times, her assiduously cultivated ambivalence seems to paralyze her; she gets stuck between competing concerns, unable to say anything definitive about what she believes.

The New York Times - Books

The plurality utterly fails to account for the government's compelling interests and for our own institutional inability to weigh competing concerns correctly.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "competing concern", clearly identify all concerns involved to provide context and clarity for your audience.

Common error

Avoid treating all "competing concerns" as equally important. Prioritize and address the most critical ones first to ensure effective decision-making.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "competing concern" is to act as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. As evidenced by Ludwig, it identifies an issue involving conflicting interests or priorities.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "competing concern" is a grammatically correct and usable expression in written English, albeit with a rare frequency. It describes conflicting issues or interests that require balancing. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's often used when discussing situations where priorities or resources are limited. When using "competing concern", it's important to identify and, if possible, prioritize these concerns to facilitate effective communication and decision-making. Related phrases such as "conflicting interest" or "opposing priority" can be used as alternatives, depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Conflicting interest

Focuses on the clash between different interests, highlighting the potential for bias or incompatibility.

Opposing priority

Emphasizes the difference in importance or urgency between various tasks or objectives.

Contradictory demand

Highlights the impossibility of satisfying two or more requirements simultaneously.

Clashing concern

Implies a direct conflict or collision between different worries or anxieties.

Divergent consideration

Focuses on the different factors or aspects that need to be taken into account, which may pull in different directions.

Competing priority

Highlights a situation where multiple priorities vie for attention and resources.

Conflicting viewpoint

Emphasizes the difference in opinion or perspective between various stakeholders.

Opposing argument

Focuses on the clash between different lines of reasoning or evidence.

Contradictory objective

Highlights the impossibility of achieving two or more goals simultaneously.

Clashing perspective

Implies a difference in points of view or approaches to a particular issue.

FAQs

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

You can use "competing concern" to describe situations where different interests or priorities clash. For example: "Balancing environmental protection and economic growth often presents a "competing concern" for policymakers."

What are some alternatives to "competing concern"?

Alternatives include "conflicting interest", "opposing priority", or "clashing perspective". Each carries a slightly different nuance, so choose the one that best fits your context.

Is it always necessary to resolve "competing concerns"?

Not always. Sometimes, the goal is to find a balance or compromise that addresses each concern to some extent, rather than fully resolving the conflict.

What's the difference between "competing concern" and "trade-off"?

A "competing concern" highlights the conflicting nature of interests, while a "trade-off" /s/trade+off suggests that one concern is sacrificed to some extent in favor of another.