concert

1.nounA1

Definition

an event where musicians or singers perform live for an audience, usually playing several pieces of music.

Example

The school hall was full for Shanti's first piano concert on Saturday.

adjective + concert: 'piano concert' specifies the type

Tickets for the orchestra's summer concert sold out within a week.

Common collocations

attend a concert
give a concert
play a concert
rock concert
classical concert
live concert
concert hall
concert ticket
concert venue

Synonyms

show
more general — can include theatre, dance, or comedy, not just music
gig
informal; specifically a live music performance by a band or solo artist, often in a small venue
recital
a solo or small-group performance, usually of classical music, in a formal setting
performance
the broadest term — any act of presenting music, theatre, or dance before an audience

Grammar Patterns

adjective + concert (rock concert / classical concert / live concert)

concert + noun (concert hall / concert ticket / concert venue)

Usage Note

Concert usually refers to a live performance of popular, rock, jazz, or classical music. For a solo performance of classical music by one player, 'recital' is more common. For a single performer or small band in a bar or club, 'gig' is the informal term.

Common Mistakes

I went to a concert last night and it was very interested.

I went to a concert last night and it was very interesting.

'interested' describes how you feel; 'interesting' describes the event itself.

2.nounC1

Definition

a state of working together or acting jointly with another person or group, most often found in the fixed phrase 'in concert with'.

Example

The new bridge was designed in concert with local engineers and environmental experts.

fixed phrase: 'in concert with' + noun phrase

The nursing team worked in concert with the doctors to improve patient care.

Common collocations

in concert with
act in concert
work in concert
plan in concert

Synonyms

cooperation
more common and natural in everyday English; 'in cooperation with' is the standard phrasing
collaboration
emphasises working together on a creative or intellectual task
partnership
suggests a more formal, long-term arrangement between two parties

Antonyms

opposition
acting against someone rather than with them

Grammar Patterns

in concert with + noun phrase

Usage Note

This sense is almost entirely restricted to the fixed phrase 'in concert with'. Outside this phrase, the noun meaning 'agreement' or 'cooperation' sounds archaic. For everyday use, prefer 'together with', 'in cooperation with', or 'in partnership with'.

Common Mistakes

The two teams are in concert for the project.

The two teams are working in concert with each other on the project.

'in concert' needs 'with' to introduce the collaborating party.

Idioms

in concert with somebody/something

idiom

Working together with another person or group to achieve a shared goal.

The two companies acted in concert with each other to launch the product.

Did the police work in concert with the local community to solve the case?

1.verbtransitiveC1

Definition

to develop a shared plan or strategy by talking with other people and reaching a joint decision.

Example

Eri and Mathieu concerted a fundraising strategy for the new community centre.

concert + noun phrase: 'concerted a fundraising strategy'

The two departments concerted a joint response to the budget cuts.

Common collocations

concert a plan
concert a strategy
concert a response

Synonyms

coordinate
more common; focuses on organising activities so they work well together
plan jointly
the plain-English equivalent; two-word verb that is widely understood
devise together
emphasises creating something new through shared thinking

Grammar Patterns

concert + noun phrase (a plan / a strategy / an approach)

Usage Note

In modern English this verb sense is rare and very formal. 'Concert' as a verb is almost never used in everyday conversation. In most situations, replace it with 'plan together', 'work out', or 'coordinate'. The participial adjective 'concerted' (as in 'a concerted effort') is far more common.

Common Mistakes

Let's concert a party this weekend.

Let's plan a party this weekend.

Using 'concert' as a verb for everyday plans sounds unnatural and overly formal.

2.verbtransitiveC1

Definition

to settle a disagreement or finalise arrangements by discussing the details until all sides agree.

Example

Tuan and Isabela concerted their differences after a long mediation session.

concert + noun phrase: 'concerted their differences' (things that divide people)

The two families concerted the terms of the property sale through a lawyer.

Common collocations

concert differences
concert terms
concert a settlement
concert a schedule

Synonyms

settle
much more common; used for resolving disputes or finalising arrangements
negotiate
the standard verb for reaching agreement through discussion
resolve
focuses on finding a solution to a disagreement or problem

Antonyms

dispute
to argue or disagree instead of settling
disagree
to fail to reach a shared position

Grammar Patterns

concert + noun phrase (differences / terms / a settlement)

Usage Note

This sense is extremely rare in modern English. It appears mostly in legal or historical texts. The verb 'concert' in this meaning is interchangeable with 'settle', 'resolve', or 'negotiate' — those alternatives are far more natural for learners to use.

Common Mistakes

We concerted the problem with our landlord.

We resolved the problem with our landlord.

'Concert' sounds archaic here; 'resolve' or 'settle' are standard.

3.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1

Definition

to act or work in a coordinated, harmonious way with another person or group, so that everyone's efforts support one another.

Example

The rescue crews concerted their efforts to reach the trapped hikers before dark.

concert + noun phrase: 'concerted their efforts' — a fixed collocation

Several government agencies concerted to improve public transport across the region.

Common collocations

concert efforts
concert actions
concert with

Synonyms

coordinate
the natural modern substitute; implies organising activities so they align
unite
emphasises coming together as a single force
collaborate
focuses on working jointly, especially on creative or intellectual tasks

Antonyms

conflict
when actions work against each other rather than together

Grammar Patterns

concert + noun phrase (efforts / actions)

concert with + noun phrase

Usage Note

This is the rarest of the three verb senses. The intransitive use ('the singers concerted well') is almost entirely obsolete. Modern English overwhelmingly prefers 'work together', 'coordinate', or 'act in unison'. The adjective 'concerted' (a concerted effort) is the only living form of this root.

Common Mistakes

The team concerted on the project.

The team worked together on the project.

'Concert' as an intransitive verb ('concert on') does not exist; use 'coordinate' or 'work together'.

Word family

concert (noun)
nounA1
concert (verb)
verbC1
concerted
adjectiveB2
concertedly
adverbC1
concertgoer
nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe events where music is presented to an audience, but they differ in scale, formality, and genre. 'Concert' is the neutral, all-purpose word for a live music event — from a classical orchestra in a hall to a pop band in a stadium. 'Gig' is informal and describes a single booking for a musician or band, often in a small venue such as a pub or club: 'The band has a gig at The Blue Note on Friday.' 'Recital' is formal and refers to a solo or small-group performance of classical or jazz music, typically in an intimate setting: 'The pianist gave a recital of Chopin etudes.' 'Show' is very broad and can include theatre, dance, or comedy as well as music, and often implies a produced event with lighting and staging. 'Performance' is the most general term — any act of presenting music, theatre, or dance in front of an audience, regardless of setting or formality. If you are buying a ticket to hear your favourite rock band at an arena, you say 'concert'; if you are watching one pianist play in a small hall, you say 'recital'; if your friend is playing at a bar, you say 'gig'.

concert ↗gig ↗recitalshow ↗performance ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

concert hall
concert ticket
concert venue
concert series
concert programme
concert pianist

Phrases

in concert with
a concert of
go to a concert
at a concert
attend a concert

Prepositions

concert with

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

The word 'concert' entered English from French 'concerto' in the 16th century, which itself came from Italian 'concerto' (harmony, agreement). The Italian word traces back to Latin 'concertare' (to contend or dispute together), formed from 'com-' (together) and 'certare' (to strive, contend). The shift from 'contend' to 'harmonize' happened in Italian, where 'concerto' came to mean a group of musicians playing in agreement. The musical sense — a public performance of music — emerged in the 1600s and gradually became the dominant meaning of the word. The verb senses (plan together, settle by agreement, act in harmony) preserve the older Latin notion of people 'striving together' toward a shared goal, though they are now rare and formal.

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concert

concert — noun

1. an event where musicians or singers perform live for an audience, usually playin

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. a state of working together or acting jointly with another person or group, most

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

in concert with somebody/something

concert — verb

1. to develop a shared plan or strategy by talking with other people and reaching a

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. to settle a disagreement or finalise arrangements by discussing the details unti

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. to act or work in a coordinated, harmonious way with another person or group, so

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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