Concrete Meaning
/ˈkɒnkɹiːt/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjReal, actual, tangible.
adjReal, actual, tangible., Analogous to the categories of algebraic objects which category theory was created to generalize, in the sense of having objects which can be thought of as sets equipped with some additional structure. Formally, equipped with a faithful functor to the category of sets.
Sentence Examples
Our plans are not yet concrete.
A committee should apply the focus to the more concrete problem.
The houses are made of concrete blocks with tin roofs.
CEFR Practice Quiz
We need ____ evidence, not just rumors or vague suggestions.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The building was made of solid ____ blocks and steel beams.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin concrētus, past participle of concrescō (to curdle) from con- (with, together) + crescō (to grow, rise).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"l am perplexed by the superior importance which Dr, Pratt attributes to abstract trueness over concrete verifiability in an idea, and I wish that he might be moved to explain."
— 1909, William James, The Meaning of Truth: A Sequel to 'Pragmatism', London […]: Longmans, Green, and Co., page 173:
"That fact I think should be leading us to explore again what our tradition has always said, that militarization is not good for us as it is not good for the rest of humanity either, and we ought to be examining what in this generation that means in the toughest, realest, concretest form, what it means for us to be struggling toward."
— 1978, Jerry V. Diller, editor, Ancient Roots and Modern Meanings: A Contemporary Reader in Jewish Identity, New York, N.Y.: Bloch Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 244:
"Professor Peter Crome, chair of the audit's steering group, said the report "provides further concrete evidence that the care of patients with dementia in hospital is in need of a radical shake-up". While a few hospitals had risen to the challenge of improving patients' experiences, many have not, he said. The report recommends that all staff receive basic dementia awareness training, and staffing levels should be maintained to help such patients."
— 2011 December 16, Denis Campbell, “Hospital staff 'lack skills to cope with dementia patients'”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Apr 2023:
"The secretary general went on to express his concern with recent Israeli announcements to expand settlements in the occupied lands, urging them to: stop the demolitions of Palestinian homes and confiscation of Palestinian lands, address the humanitarian situation in Gaza and to take concrete steps to improve the daily lives of the Palestinian people. He also noted that all of these behaviours made more difficult the achievement of an Israel-Palestinian peace."
— 2016 February 6, James Zogby, “Israel's prickliness blocks the long quest for peace”, in The National, archived from the original on 20 Jan 2022:
"American intelligence officials have long said privately that Huawei has so-called back doors that could allow the company to obtain data that flows on the networks they build and maintain. But publicly, officials have spoken mostly about the potential that Huawei could provide Chinese officials with access to all kinds of data, without offering concrete proof."
— 2020 February 11, Julian E. Barnes, “White House Official Says Huawei Has Secret Back Door to Extract Data”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 04 Jun 2023:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
We need ____ evidence, not just rumors or vague suggestions.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The building was made of solid ____ blocks and steel beams.