concentric

USAGE SUMMARY

"concentric" is a correct and usable word in written English.
It can be used to mean either "having a common center" or "forming a series of circles, rings, or coils". For example: "The concentric circles in the painting created a hypnotic effect."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The best way to think about the remaining tribes in 2011 is to imagine a series of concentric circles, all of which interact on each boundary.

The Guardian

The first edition of the novel to appear under Plath's name, published in 1967, featured a cover designed by Shirley Tucker, with a bold type face and urgent concentric circles.

The Guardian - Books

It is a mechanism called "concentric differentiation", which allows for every country to collaborate in the effort towards the target of limiting temperature rises to 2C above pre-industrial levels.

The Guardian

In the early days of the case, the prosecution sought to show that the shoeprint was from Sollecito's Nikes; the pattern of concentric circles on the sole was later proven to come from a different pair of Nikes belonging to Guede.

The Guardian - Opinion

The periodic table works because the electrons like to organise themselves in concentric shells.

The Economist

Today, the Mozilla Foundation manages the code and employs a dozen full-time developers.From that core group, the open-source method lets a series of concentric circles form.

The Economist

Dr Yabe's trick is to use relatively small Fresnel lenses transparent and relatively thin planar lenses made up of concentric rings of prisms.

The Economist

It is a consequence of the way that data are recorded on a hard drive.The zeros and ones of digital information are preserved as tiny spots organised in concentric tracks on the surface of a rapidly spinning disk coated with a thin film of magnetic material.

The Economist

A set of concentric rings, alternately transparent and opaque, will scatter and spread light waves in a manner that causes them to reinforce each other some distance away, and thus form an image.

The Economist

One, with its interior spaces arranged in concentric circles and connected by a spiralling staircase, brings to mind a giant exploded conch shell.But shells are all that remain.

The Economist

Think of his proposed cabinet as three concentric circles: an inner core of heavyweight national security and economic policymakers; a conservative second ring of domestic policymakers; and a motley crew at the outskirts.For the inner circle, Mr Bush reached back to the Ford administration, and to his father's.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing physical arrangements, ensure that "concentric" is paired with a noun that can logically form circles, such as "rings", "circles", or "layers".

Common error

Avoid using "concentric" to describe arrangements that are linear or irregularly shaped. "Concentric" specifically implies a series of circles sharing the same center point.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "concentric" primarily functions to describe nouns by indicating that they share a common center. This is observed across various examples provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

7%

Reference

3%

Academia

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the adjective "concentric" accurately describes shapes and arrangements that share a common center. As Ludwig AI confirms, this term is both grammatically correct and widely used, particularly in technical and descriptive contexts. To use "concentric" effectively, ensure it modifies nouns that can logically form circular arrangements. Be mindful of the term's relatively formal register and consider simpler alternatives in casual settings. As exemplified in both common parlance and specialized writing, understanding that concentricity inherently suggests circles sharing the same midpoint is paramount to its apt application.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

having a common center

This phrase directly defines the primary meaning of "concentric", emphasizing the shared central point.

homocentric

This term is nearly synonymous, also referring to objects sharing a common center, but is less commonly used than concentric.

nested

Implies a structure where objects are contained within each other, similar to concentric arrangements, but lacks the circular aspect.

centered around

Describes a focus or arrangement where elements are positioned around a central point, conveying a similar spatial relationship.

arranged radially

Indicates an arrangement spreading outward from a central point, like spokes on a wheel, but does not necessarily imply circular shapes.

in layers

Suggests a structure built up of successive coverings or levels, and the idea is similar but doesn't explicitly define a center point.

circular

Refers to something having the form of a circle; while related, it doesn't explicitly convey the shared center aspect.

rings

Indicates circular bands or loops; while related, it doesn't explicitly convey the shared center aspect.

layered

Describes a structure with multiple levels or strata, but the layers don't necessarily share a common center.

surrounding

Implies an enclosure or encompassing arrangement, but doesn't require a specific geometric shape or shared center.

FAQs

How can I use "concentric" in a sentence?

You can use "concentric" to describe shapes or arrangements that have a common center. For example, "The target had "concentric circles"" or "They built "concentric walls" around the city for defense".

What's a synonym for "concentric"?

A close synonym for "concentric" is "homocentric", which also means having the same center.

What is the opposite of "concentric"?

The opposite of "concentric" is "eccentric", meaning not having a common center.

Is "concentric" a formal word?

"Concentric" is a relatively formal word, appropriate for technical or descriptive contexts. While understood in general conversation, simpler terms might be preferred in informal settings.