A concert is a live musical performance. A concept is an idea — an abstract notion formed in the mind. A concert in the park; the concept of fairness. Learners confuse the shapes; the words share a prefix and nothing else.
The core difference
- concert — a live performance of music. A rock concert, concert hall. Also, in the phrase in concert: acting together. The agencies worked in concert.
- concept — an idea, especially a general or abstract one. The concept of time, a new concept in retail, proof of concept.
The tell
Concept belongs with conceive and conception — an idea is conceived. Concert belongs with concerto and concerted — people performing or acting together. You attend a concert; you grasp a concept. The p of concept is the p of conception, and there is no p anywhere near a concert.
In use
- concert — The concert starts at eight. The two agencies acted in concert.
- concept — Zero is a surprisingly late concept. The concept car was never built.
Common slips
- a hard concert to grasp → a hard concept to grasp
- tickets for the concept → tickets for the concert
Concepts are conceived; concerts are performed.
Where the words come from
Concert is from Italian concerto, "agreement, harmony", through French, originally meaning people acting in agreement — the music sense followed. Concept is from Latin conceptum, "something conceived", from concipere "to take in fully", the root of conceive.
Frequently asked questions
What does "in concert" mean?
Together, in coordination: the two departments acted in concert. It is the original sense, before the music.
Is "concept" the same as "conception"?
Close. A concept is the idea; conception is the forming of it, or a person's particular understanding of it.
Can concept be an adjective?
Only in compounds: a concept car, a concept album — one built to demonstrate an idea.