Concert: A Live Performance, and Acting in Agreement
A concert is a live musical performance. The word also means agreement or coordination, which survives in the phrase acting in concert.
A concert is a performance of music before an audience. The older meaning is agreement, and it is still alive in law and diplomacy: people who act *in concert* have coordinated their actions, which can be an achievement or an accusation depending on the context.
- A live musical performance. *Tickets for the concert sold out.*
- Agreement or coordination. *Acting in concert with others.*
- A coordinated arrangement between states. *The Concert of Europe.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | concert | An outdoor concert. |
| Compound | concert hall | A new concert hall. |
| Adjective | concerted | A concerted effort. |
| Related | concerto | A violin concerto. |
| Phrase | in concert | Acting in concert. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The band played three sold-out concerts.The everyday sense.
- The shareholders were found to be acting in concert.A regulatory finding, and rarely good news.
- It will take a concerted effort by all departments.Concerted means jointly planned, not merely determined.
Concert, recital, gig and concerto
- Concert — a performance, usually by an ensemble
- Recital — usually one performer or a small group
- Gig — informal, for popular music
- Concerto — a composition for soloist and orchestra, not an event
- Buying a ticket to a concerto would confuse the box office
From Italian *concerto*, agreement or harmony, from a Latin verb that could mean both to contend and to bring into agreement. English took the musical sense through French, and the older sense of coordination through diplomacy.
Concert or concerto?
A concert is an event. A concerto is a piece of music, usually in three movements, for soloist and orchestra.
Does concerted mean strong?
Not exactly. It means jointly arranged. A concerted effort is a coordinated one, though it is often used loosely to mean determined.