concerted
UK[kənˈsɜːtɪd]US[kənˈsɜːrtɪd]
adj
done in a planned and determined way, especially by more than one person, government, or organization
adj
(of music) arranged in parts for several voices or instruments
Morpheme Breakdown
con
cert
ed
con
together
cert
strive, contend
ed
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word "concerted" originates from the verb "concert," which entered english in the late 16th century from italian concertare or french concerter, meaning "to arrange, settle, bring into agreement." these romance language forms derive from latin concertare, meaning "to contend, dispute, fight," but which in late latin also developed the sense of "to work together." this semantic shift from conflict to cooperation is intriguing: the latin root certare ("to strive") combined with the prefix con- ("together") evolved from literal "striving against" to metaphorical "striving together in harmony." the adjective "concerted," formed by adding the participial suffix -ed, thus captures this notion of joint, coordinated effort. its musical sense, referring to parts arranged for multiple performers, directly reflects this idea of harmonious collaboration, which then extended metaphorically to any planned, united action.
Analysis
Structure: con (together) + cert (strive, contend) + ed (adjective suffix)
- con: from latin con- (a form of com-), meaning "together, with". a prefix indicating association or joint action.
- cert: from latin certare, meaning "to strive, contend, fight", a frequentative of cernere ("to sift, decide").
- ed: from old english -ed, -od, -ad, a suffix forming adjectives, often from past participles of verbs, indicating a state or quality.
Examples
the police made a concerted effort to reduce crime in the area.
a concerted campaign by health officials has raised public awareness.
the piece requires a concerted performance from the entire string section.