concern
concern — verb
- concernpresent simple I / you / we / they
- concernshe / she / it
- concernedpast simple
- concerning-ing form
1. to make someone feel worried or anxious, especially when something may have gone
to make someone feel worried or anxious, especially when something may have gone wrong or when the outcome is uncertain.
The blood test results concerned Wren's parents enough for them to call the hospital.
be concerned + enough + infinitive
It concerned the principal that so many students had missed the exam on the same morning.
it concerns + noun + that-clause
Adaeze was deeply concerned when she received no news from her brother for three days.
passive: be concerned when
The strange noise from the engine concerned the pilot, who decided to land early.
What concerns the local fishermen most is the amount of plastic waste in the bay.
what concerns + noun phrase + most + is + clause
- deeply concerned
- increasingly concerned
- concerned about
- concerned over
- concerned for someone's safety
- reassure
to make someone feel less worried
Grammar Patterns
concern + noun/pronoun
be concerned + about + noun
be concerned + that-clause
it concerns + noun/pronoun + that-clause
Usage Note
Commonly used in the passive voice (be concerned about/over something). The active voice tends to sound more formal than worry.
Common Mistakes
2. to affect or matter to someone personally, touching their life, their choices, o
to affect or matter to someone personally, touching their life, their choices, or their circumstances.
The new tax rules concern anyone who owns a small business in the city.
concern + anyone who + clause
Eitan's decision to move abroad concerns not just himself but his whole family.
This argument between the managers does not concern the junior staff at all.
does not concern — denying relevance
As concerns the school budget, the board will announce their decision next week.
formal: as concerns + noun
The proposed law concerns every citizen who pays income tax in this state.
- does not concern
- concerns everyone
- as concerns
- directly concerns
Grammar Patterns
concern + noun/pronoun
as concerns + noun
Usage Note
Used without progressive tenses (not 'is concerning' in this sense). The phrase 'as concerns' is formal and means 'regarding.'
Common Mistakes
3. to have a particular subject as the main topic — used for books, films, articles
to have a particular subject as the main topic — used for books, films, articles, speeches, or discussions.
The documentary concerns the history of coffee farming in Colombia and Brazil.
Imran's speech at the conference mainly concerned the future of clean energy.
mainly concerns — narrowing the topic
The second chapter concerns early attempts to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.
A large part of the report concerns pollution levels in major European rivers.
a large part concerns — partial scope
The novel concerns a young nurse who moves to a small island to work.
- mainly concerns
- largely concerns
- concerns the issue of
- chapter concerns
Grammar Patterns
concern + subject (topic)
Usage Note
This is a stative verb and is not used in progressive forms ('is concerning' is incorrect here). 'Concerns' in this sense is more formal than 'is about.'
Common Mistakes
4. to take an active interest in a subject or issue, or to become involved in deali
to take an active interest in a subject or issue, or to become involved in dealing with something that matters to you.
Heloísa concerns herself with local education projects for underprivileged children.
concerns herself with + noun phrase
The committee is concerned with improving public transport in rural areas.
be concerned with + gerund
A good manager should concern herself about the well-being of her team members.
Tariq does not concern himself with office gossip, preferring to focus on his work.
does not concern himself with — negative
- concern oneself with
- concern oneself about
- be concerned with
- get involved in
less formal and more active
- take an interest in
focuses on curiosity rather than action
- ignore
to deliberately not take an interest
Grammar Patterns
concern + oneself + with + noun
concern + oneself + about + noun
Usage Note
Always used with a reflexive pronoun (oneself/himself/herself/themselves) followed by 'with' or 'about.' Without the reflexive pronoun, the meaning changes to a different sense.
Common Mistakes
5. a conventional formal greeting used when opening a letter or official document a
a conventional formal greeting used when opening a letter or official document addressed to an unnamed recipient.
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to apply for the position of laboratory assistant.
fixed phrase: To Whom It May Concern
Lara used 'To Whom It May Concern' in her complaint letter because she had no contact name.
Job seekers should avoid 'To Whom It May Concern' when they know the recruiter's name.
usage note embedded in example
The bank manager replied with a letter beginning 'To Whom It May Concern.'
- Dear Sir or Madam
another formal greeting without a named recipient
Grammar Patterns
to whom it may concern
Usage Note
Increasingly considered outdated or overly impersonal in modern business correspondence. Whenever possible, find the recipient's name.
Common Mistakes
concern — noun
- concernsingular
- concernsplural
1. a feeling of worry or nervousness about something, especially when the situation
a feeling of worry or nervousness about something, especially when the situation is uncertain or may have a bad result.
There is growing concern among parents about the amount of homework their children receive.
growing concern among [group] about [topic]
Jack expressed concern when he saw that the bridge had not been repaired after the storm.
The main concern of the villagers is that the new road will destroy the local forest.
the main concern of [group] is that...
Rising air pollution in the city is a serious cause for concern among health officials.
a cause for concern
Lotte's biggest concern right now is finding a safe place for her family to stay.
- growing concern
- deep concern
- public concern
- cause for concern
- raise concerns
- express concern
- calm
a feeling of peace and safety
Grammar Patterns
concern + about/over + noun
cause/raise concern
be a cause for concern
Usage Note
Uncountable when referring to the general feeling ('His health is a matter of concern'). Countable when referring to a specific worry ('She has several concerns about the trip').
Common Mistakes
2. a company or business organization, especially one that provides services or man
a company or business organization, especially one that provides services or manufactures goods.
The family printing concern has been operating in Taipei since the early 1990s.
family concern — small, family-owned business
Hyun sold his small shipping concern to a larger logistics company last year.
The factory is still a going concern, employing over two hundred local workers.
going concern — idiom for a profitable business
The jewellery concern started by Tuan's grandfather now has shops in three countries.
- family concern
- going concern
- business concern
- small concern
- large concern
- company
the most common modern term
- firm
often used for professional services
- enterprise
more formal; suggests ambition or scale
Grammar Patterns
family concern
business concern
going concern
Usage Note
Slightly formal or old-fashioned. In everyday English, 'company' or 'business' is more common. 'Going concern' is a fixed phrase in accounting meaning a business that is expected to continue operating.
3. an issue or subject that matters greatly to a person, typically because it touch
an issue or subject that matters greatly to a person, typically because it touches their own life or situation.
Environmental protection is a major concern for the younger generation in Taiwan.
major concern for [group]
Eliska's health has always been a great concern to her family and close friends.
be a concern to [someone]
The quality of drinking water in rural areas is a growing public concern.
Issues of safety at the school are of great concern to teachers and parents alike.
be of concern to [someone]
Providing affordable housing has become a major political concern in most large cities.
- major concern
- growing concern
- public concern
- be of concern
- a matter of concern
Grammar Patterns
be of concern to + noun
be a matter of concern
be a concern for + noun
Usage Note
Often used with of: 'be of concern' means 'be important or interesting.' The phrase be of (no) concern is fixed — do not insert articles before or after 'of.'
Common Mistakes
4. a matter that belongs to a particular person's private or professional domain, a
a matter that belongs to a particular person's private or professional domain, and is not open to outside interference.
How Tariq chooses to spend his free time is his own concern, not yours.
one's own concern
The couple's financial problems are a private concern and should not be discussed openly.
How others judge her work is not her concern as long as she does her best.
not someone's concern
Managing the school kitchen is the concern of the head cook, not the teachers.
the concern of [someone]
- my concern
- his concern
- not my concern
- a private concern
- one's own concern
- the concern of
Grammar Patterns
my/your/his concern
no concern of mine/yours
Usage Note
Almost always used with a possessive (my, your, his, our, their) or the phrase 'of.' The negative form 'not my concern' strongly implies 'not my business.'
5. used in the fixed phrase 'of concern' to describe something that is important or
used in the fixed phrase 'of concern' to describe something that is important or matters to someone, especially in formal statements.
The committee stated that the drop in test scores was of great concern to the board.
was of great concern to [someone]
It is of concern to the whole neighbourhood that the park has become unsafe at night.
it is of concern that...
The rising cost of food is of particular concern to families on low incomes.
Whether the old library will stay open is a matter of concern for many residents.
a matter of concern
- of great concern
- of particular concern
- of little concern
- a matter of concern
- importance
broader; 'concern' adds the sense of emotional investment
Grammar Patterns
be of concern to + noun
it is of concern that...
Usage Note
Restricted to the fixed expression 'be of (adj) concern.' The adjective (great, considerable, little, particular) goes before 'concern.' Cannot be used as a standalone noun phrase.
Common Mistakes
6. used in fixed negative phrases to show that something is not important or releva
used in fixed negative phrases to show that something is not important or relevant to someone, or that they should not interfere.
What Lisa does in her free time is of no concern to the company management.
be of no concern to [someone]
It is no concern of yours how much rent the neighbours pay for their apartment.
it is no concern of yours + clause
The contents of the letter were of no concern to anyone except the recipient.
Wren told her colleague politely that the budget discussion was no concern of his.
no concern of [possessive pronoun]
- no concern of
- of no concern to
- no concern of mine/yours
- none of someone's business
more direct and informal
- someone's concern
something that involves or matters to someone
Grammar Patterns
be of no concern to + noun
it is no concern of + noun
Usage Note
Always negative. The positive counterpart is noun sense 4 (PERSONAL AFFAIR), meaning 'something that involves someone.' This sense is only used with 'no' or 'not any.'
Common Mistakes
Word family
- concernedadjectiveB1
- concerningprepositionB2
- unconcernedadjectiveC1
- concernedlyadverbC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All five verbs describe causing someone to feel upset or uneasy, but they differ in strength and formality. CONCERN is the calmest and most formal — it suggests rational care rather than emotional distress: 'The drop in sales concerned the manager.' WORRY is the most common in everyday speech and implies repeated, anxious thoughts: 'Heloísa worries about her son's cough every night.' BOTHER suggests minor annoyance rather than deep fear: 'The noise from the street bothered Lisa while she tried to read.' TROUBLE is stronger than bother and implies real difficulty or burden: 'Imran's bad back has troubled him for years.' DISTURB is the most formal and suggests interrupting someone's peace or concentration: 'The news of the accident disturbed the whole community.' In short, choose concern for calm, rational unease; worry for personal anxiety; bother for small irritation; trouble for ongoing difficulty; and disturb for a formal breach of peace.
Common collocations
Phrases
- cause for concern
- matter of concern
- of concern
- no concern of
- to whom it may concern
- going concern
- public concern
Etymology
The word 'concern' entered English from French 'concerner' in the 1500s, originally meaning 'to relate to' or 'to be about.' The French word came from Late Latin 'concernere,' which combined 'com-' (together) and 'cernere' (to sift or separate). In Latin, 'concernere' meant 'to sift together' or 'to mix,' but by medieval times it had shifted to mean 'to relate to, belong to.' The sense of 'causing worry' developed later in the 1600s, arising naturally from the idea that things which 'concern' you—that is, relate to you personally—are also things you care about and therefore feel anxious about.
First known use
15th century
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a Noun