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Webster 1913 Edition


Concern

Con-cern′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Concerned
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Concerning
.]
[F.
concerner
, LL.
concernere
to regard, concern, fr. L.
concernere
to mix or mingle together, as in a sieve for separating;
con-
+
cernere
to separate, sift, distinguish by the senses, and especially by the eyes, to perceive, see. See
Certain
.]
1.
To relate or belong to; to have reference to or connection with; to affect the interest of; to be of importance to.
Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which
concern
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts xxviii. 31.
Our wars with France have affected us in our most tender interests, and
concerned
us more than those with any other nation.
Addison.
It much
concerns
a preacher first to learn
The genius of his audience and their turn.
Dodsley.
Ignorant, so far as the usual instruction is
concerned
.
J. F. Cooper.
2.
To engage by feeling or sentiment; to interest;
as, a good prince
concerns
himself in the happiness of his subjects
.
They think themselves out the reach of Providence, and no longer
concerned
to solicit his favor.
Rogers.

Con-cern′

,
Verb.
I.
To be of importance.
[Obs.]
Which to deny
concerns
more than avails.
Shakespeare

Con-cern′

,
Noun.
1.
That which relates or belongs to one; business; affair.
The private
concerns
of fanilies.
Addison.
2.
That which affects the welfare or happiness; interest; moment.
Mysterious secrets of a high
concern
.
Roscommon.
3.
Interest in, or care for, any person or thing; regard; solicitude; anxiety.
O Marcia, let me hope thy kind
concerns

And gentle wishes follow me to battle.
Addison.
4.
(Com.)
Persons connected in business; a firm and its business;
as, a banking
concern
.
Syn. – Care; anxiety; solicitude; interest; regard; business; affair; matter; moment. See
Care
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Concern

CONCERN

,
Verb.
T.
[L., to separate, sift, divide; to see. If this is the true origin, as I suppose, the primary sense is, to reach or extend to, or to look to, as we use regard.]
1.
To relate or belong to.
Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 28.
2.
To relate or belong to, in an emphatical manner; to affect the interest of; to be of importance to.
Our wars with France have affected us in our most tender interests, and concerned us more than those with any other nation.
It much concerns us to secure the favor and protection of God.
3.
To interest of affect the passions; to take an interest in; to engage by feeling or sentiment.
A good prince concerns himself in the happiness of his subjects. A kind parent concerns himself in the virtuous education of his children. They
They think themselves out of the reach of Providence, and no longer concerned to solicit his favor.
4.
To disturb; to make uneasy. [Little used.]
5.
To intermeddle.
We need not concern ourselves with the affairs of our neighbors.

CONCERN

,
Noun.
1.
That which relates or belongs to one; business; affair; a very general term, expressing whatever occupies the time and attention, or affects the interests of a person. Intermeddle not in the private concerns of a family. Religion is the main concern of a rational being. We have no concern in the private quarrels of our neighbors. The industrious and prudent occupy their time with their own concerns.
2.
Interest; importance; moment; that which affects the welfare or happiness.
To live in peace, is a matter of no small concern to a nation.
Mysterious secrets of a high concern, and weighty truths, solid convincing sense, explained by unaffected eloquence.
3.
Affection; regard; careful regard; solicitude; anziety.
Why all this concern for the poor things of this life?
O Marcia, let me hope thy kind concerns, and gentle wishes, follow me to battle.
An impenitent man feels no concern for his soul.
4.
Persons connected in business; or their affairs in general; as a debt due to the whole concern; a loss affecting the whole concern. Mercantile Usage.

Definition 2024


concern

concern

English

Noun

concern (countable and uncountable, plural concerns)

  1. That which affects one's welfare or happiness. A matter of interest to someone. The adposition before the matter of interest is usually over, about or for.
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 2, in The Celebrity:
      We drove back to the office with some concern on my part at the prospect of so large a case. Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.
    • 2011 April 10, Alistair Magowan, Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport:
      Although the encounter was bathed in sunshine, the match failed to reach boiling point but that will be of little concern to Gerard Houllier's team, who took a huge step forward before they face crucial matches against their relegation rivals.
    Mark's health was of great concern to Connie.
    Most people in Australia have no concern for the recent events in London.
  2. The expression of solicitude, anxiety, or compassion toward a thing or person.
    • 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 22, in The Dust of Conflict:
      Appleby [] rose from his seat when Morales came in. He shook hands urbanely, unbuckled his sword, and laid his kepi on the table, and then sat down with an expression of concern in his olive face which Appleby fancied was assumed.
  3. A business, firm or enterprise; a company.
    • 2001 November 18, "What the Muslim World Is Watching," The New York Times (retrieved 26 July 2014):
      Soon after he ascended the throne, an Arabic television joint venture between the BBC and a Saudi concern, Orbit Communications, foundered over the BBC's insistence on editorial independence.
    The employees' attitude is really hurting the concern.
  4. (programming) Any set of information that affects the code of a computer program.
    • 2006, Awais Rashid, Mehmet Aksit, Transactions on Aspect-Oriented Software Development II, page 148:
      At the programming level, an aspect is a modular unit that implements a concern.

Synonyms

  • (that which affects one's welfare or happiness): interest

Translations

External links

  • concern in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • concern in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Verb

concern (third-person singular simple present concerns, present participle concerning, simple past and past participle concerned)

  1. (transitive) To relate or belong to; to have reference to or connection with; to affect the interest of; to be of importance to.
    • Bible, Acts xxviii. 31
      Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ.
    • Joseph Addison (1672-1719)
      Our wars with France have affected us in our most tender interests, and concerned us more than those with any other nation.
    • James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851)
      ignorant, so far as the usual instruction is concerned
    • 1915, George A. Birmingham, chapter I”, in Gossamer (Project Gutenberg; EBook #24394), London: Methuen & Co., published 8 January 2013 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 558189256:
      As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish, but I would not go out of my way to protest against it. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get. I would very gladly make mine over to him if I could.
  2. (transitive) To engage by feeling or sentiment; to interest.
    A good prince concerns himself in the happiness of his subjects.
    • Samuel Rogers (1763-1855)
      They think themselves out the reach of Providence, and no longer concerned to solicit his favour.
    • 1935, George Goodchild, chapter 3, in Death on the Centre Court:
      It had been his intention to go to Wimbledon, but as he himself said: “Why be blooming well frizzled when you can hear all the results over the wireless. And results are all that concern me. []
  3. (transitive) To make somebody worried.
    I'm concerned that she's becoming an alcoholic.

Translations

Derived terms