concretizing

USAGE SUMMARY

"concretizing" is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it when referring to the process of making something more specific or definite. For example: "The committee is working on concretizing their ideas for the new policy".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

"What would you say to her if she were here, right now?" The empty chair can be a very powerful warm-up to a problematic situation, a way of concretizing dormant, suppressed or abstract emotions in an important or troubling relationship.

The New York Times

Chris Kurtz Minnetonka, Minn., Oct. 28, 2007 To the Editor: Lawrence Downes does a nice job of concretizing the problems resulting from illegal, unlawful or undocumented immigrants.

The New York Times

On a second level, when it comes to concretizing and specifying conceptions of justice, a constitutive egalitarian gives equality substantive weight.

SEP

That is, in one aspect the hosshin may be understood to be a personal being who preaches the Dharma by concretizing it in the cosmos as his own body.

SEP

(An interesting variant of these neo-Meinongian views is Castañeda's guise-theory, according to which an existent individual is a bundle of guises particulars formed from sets of properties by a special concretizing operation related by a relation of consubstantiation.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

32 human-written examples

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary online, "concretize", "ironize" and others do exist in American English; but they would never be allowed on to the pages of The Economist, which frowns even on "prioritize" or, as we would spell it, "prioritise".

The Economist

The most common soils found in Guinea are laterites formed of iron and hydrated aluminum oxides and other materials that often concretize into hard iron-rich conglomerates.

Encyclopedia Britannica

This is the ultimate theme of The Waste Land, concretized by the poem's constant rhetorical shifts and its juxtapositions of contrasting styles.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The first puzzles appeared in the… Overheard in Grand Central, camel's-hair topcoat to gabardine: "I'll get right on that, Jason, and I think I'll be able to concretize it by noon….

The New Yorker

They merely concretize and then expand our experience of life.

The New Yorker

"The Knick" is, in effect, an urban medical Western; just as Westerns get their political force from abstract governmental functions coming to life as firsthand action — immediate, personal, and physical — so Soderbergh's series dramatizes and concretizes the abstractions of scientific research and experimentation.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In persuasive writing, use "concretizing" to transform abstract arguments into tangible, relatable concepts, enhancing their impact on the audience.

Common error

Avoid using "concretizing" in casual conversation or informal writing. Simpler words like "clarifying" or "specifying" are often more appropriate and natural in those settings.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "concretizing" is that of a present participle, often used as part of a continuous verb tense or as a gerund. It describes the action of making something concrete. The Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Encyclopedias

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

Concretizing is a present participle used to describe the act of making something more concrete or tangible. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a correct and usable word, though its usage is relatively rare. It appears most frequently in news and media, science, and encyclopedic contexts. While grammatically sound, it's advisable to use simpler terms in informal settings. Effective writing tips include using "concretizing" to transform abstract arguments into tangible concepts. Alternatives include phrases like "making tangible" or "rendering specific". In essence, "concretizing" is a valuable tool for precision in formal and academic discourse.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

making tangible

Focuses on the act of making something real or perceptible to the senses.

rendering specific

Emphasizes the process of making something detailed and precise.

giving substance to

Highlights the act of providing a real or material form to something abstract.

making definite

Stresses the act of removing ambiguity and making something clear and certain.

defining clearly

Focuses on precise and unambiguous explanation or description.

specifying precisely

Highlights the act of detailing something accurately and exactly.

setting out clearly

Focuses on presenting something in an organized and easily understandable way.

bringing into focus

Emphasizes making something clearer or more prominent.

crystallizing the idea

Implies solidifying and making an idea more concrete and well-defined.

solidifying the concept

Focuses on strengthening and reinforcing a concept to make it more robust.

FAQs

How can I use "concretizing" in a sentence?

"Concretizing" is often used to describe the process of making abstract ideas more real or understandable. For example, "The author used vivid imagery to begin "making tangible" the abstract concept of loss."

What are some alternatives to "concretizing"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "specifying", "defining clearly", or "making definite".

Is "concretizing" appropriate for all types of writing?

While "concretizing" is a valid word, it is generally more suitable for formal writing. In informal contexts, simpler terms might be more effective.

What is the difference between "concretizing" and "abstracting"?

"Concretizing" involves making something more specific and real, while "abstracting" involves removing details to create a more general concept. They are opposite processes.