cement

1.nounB1

Definition

A fine powder made from minerals that hardens after water is added. Builders mix it with sand and stones to create a solid building material used for walls, paths, and floors.

Example

The construction workers mixed cement with water and sand to build the new garden wall.

collocation: mix cement with water and sand

A truck delivered fifteen bags of cement to the building site early this morning.

Synonyms

concrete
Concrete is the final hard material; cement is just one ingredient in it — do not use these words as exact synonyms.
mortar
Mortar is a mix of cement, sand, and water used to bond bricks, while concrete includes gravel for structural strength.

Common Mistakes

The driveway is made of cement.

The driveway is made of concrete.

Cement is the dry powder ingredient; the hard surface we walk on is concrete (cement + sand + gravel + water).

2.nounB1

Definition

Any thick, sticky substance used to join two surfaces or to fill cracks, sold in tubes or pots for household or workshop repairs.

Example

Ravi used strong cement to stick the broken handle back onto his favourite mug.

collocation: strong cement

Aiko bought cement at the hardware store to repair her cracked flower pot.

Synonyms

glue
Glue is a general term for any adhesive; cement usually implies a stronger or more hard-wearing bond for harder surfaces.
adhesive
Adhesive is a more formal, technical term covering all sticky bonding substances including cement.

Common Mistakes

I used cement to glue the paper together.

I used craft glue to stick the paper.

Cement usually refers to strong adhesives for hard materials like metal, tile, or plastic, not for paper.

3.nounB2

Definition

A shared quality — such as a language, belief, memory, or goal — that keeps a group of people strongly connected and working together.

Example

The shared language served as a cement that held the community together across four generations.

figurative use: cement that holds [group] together

Music can act as a powerful social cement, bringing together people from very different backgrounds.

compound: social cement

Synonyms

bond
Bond focuses on the emotional connection itself; cement focuses on the force that creates and maintains that connection.
glue
Glue is used in the same figurative way ('the glue that holds a team together') but feels slightly more informal than cement.
link
Link is more neutral and less emotionally strong than cement — a link connects, but cement binds firmly.

Antonyms

division
Division is a force that separates people, opposite to the uniting force of cement.

Usage Note

Almost always used in figurative or metaphorical contexts, often in the phrase 'the cement that holds (a group) together.' Avoid using this sense when talking about physical building materials.

1.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

To cover a surface with cement or to attach one object firmly to another using cement or a similar strong adhesive.

Example

The builder cemented the metal post into the ground to make the fence stand firm.

pattern: cement + object + into + place

Diego cemented each broken tile onto the kitchen floor until the surface was smooth.

Synonyms

glue
Glue is the general verb for joining with adhesive; cement suggests using a cement-like material and usually implies heavier, more durable objects.
fix
Fix is broader and does not specify the method — you can fix something with nails, screws, or cement.
attach
Attach is more general and less physical in feel — you attach a file to an email; you cement a post into the ground.

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

cement + object + to/onto + surface

cement + object + in/into + place

Usage Note

Commonly used in the passive voice when describing the result ('the tiles were cemented in place'). The object is usually a building component (brick, tile, post, slab).

Common Mistakes

I cemented the paper onto the wall.

I cemented the tiles onto the bathroom wall.

Cement as a verb usually describes joining hard, heavy materials, not light ones like paper.

2.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

To make a relationship, agreement, or position firmer and more lasting, especially by doing something that strengthens the connection between the people or groups involved.

Example

The two companies cemented their partnership by signing a five-year trade agreement.

pattern: cement + a partnership

Winning the championship cemented the team's reputation as the strongest squad in the league.

Synonyms

strengthen
Strengthen is the most general word and works in any context; cement adds the nuance of creating a long-lasting, unbreakable bond.
consolidate
Consolidate emphasizes making something more solid by combining parts; cement emphasizes the act of binding people or groups together.
solidify
Solidify suggests moving from a loose or uncertain state to a definite one ('solidify a plan'), while cement focuses on interpersonal or positional bonds.
reinforce
Reinforce means adding extra support to something that already exists, while cement implies creating or finalizing a lasting connection.

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

cement + noun_phrase (relationship/partnership/reputation/position/bond)

Usage Note

Commonly used with abstract nouns such as relationship, partnership, friendship, reputation, position, bond, status, or agreement. This sense does not describe physical sticking — use sense 1 for physical objects.

Common Mistakes

The team cemented their winning by three goals.

The team cemented their reputation by winning three matches in a row.

Cement a position or reputation, not the action itself.

Word family

cemented
adjectiveB2
cementation
nounC1
cementitious
adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

Strengthen is the most general word in this group — you can strengthen anything from a muscle to an argument to a relationship. Consolidate emphasizes gathering separate parts into a single, stronger whole, as in consolidating two departments after a merger. Solidify suggests a change from a loose or uncertain state to a definite one (e.g., solidify a vague plan into clear steps). Reinforce adds the idea of extra support against potential force or pressure, like reinforcing a wall with steel beams. Cement is closest to consolidate but carries a stronger implication of a permanent bond between distinct parties — you cement a friendship or a reputation, not a physical object (for that, use strengthen or reinforce). For instance: 'The treaty cemented the alliance between the two countries' suggests a lasting, unbreakable pact, whereas 'The treaty strengthened the alliance' simply notes that the alliance became stronger without implying permanence.

strengthen ↗consolidate ↗solidify ↗reinforce ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

cement in place
cement the bond
cement a relationship
bag of cement
mix cement

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word cement entered English around 1300 from Old French ciment, which came from Latin caementum meaning 'rough stone chips used in building.' The Latin root caedere means 'to cut' — originally referring to small pieces of stone cut from a quarry. The modern meaning of a powder that hardens like stone came into use in the 1700s as building technology developed. The figurative meaning of 'something that unites people' appeared in the early 1800s.

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cement

cement — noun

1. A fine powder made from minerals that hardens after water is added. Builders mix

Common Mistakes

2. Any thick, sticky substance used to join two surfaces or to fill cracks, sold in

Common Mistakes

3. A shared quality — such as a language, belief, memory, or goal — that keeps a gr

Usage Note

cement — verb

1. To cover a surface with cement or to attach one object firmly to another using c

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. To make a relationship, agreement, or position firmer and more lasting, especial

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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